Unspoken Desires
by XxShawns Guardian AngelxX
Summary: Hinata Hyuuga is finally fed up with Naruto and so she decides it's time to move own. Kakashi wants to help her move on but what happens when his game of matchmaker turns horribly wrong and she falls for him instead? AU SLight OOCness and LeMoNs
1. I Give Up

Kakashi put down his copy of Make Out Paradise and leaned back staring up at the sky. It was beautiful clear day and it was quiet for a change as he sat up high in his favorite tree. The tall trees were just another good thing about the village hidden in the leaves. He could climb a tree and no one would know that he was there, except a Hyuuga of course. The branches from nearby trees offered the best cover-up from unwanted eyes when you wanted or needed to be alone._There goes my perfect day…_Kakashi frowned. Some very loud voices could be heard in the distance and they seemed to keep getting closer with each passing second.

"I'D NEVER GO OUT WITH YOU NARUTO!"

"But…but Sakura…Sasuke doesn't like you and if he does, he's not doing a very good job of showing you…"

"YOU KEEP YOUR DAMN MOUTH SHUT ABOUT SASUKE! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT US YOU ASS!"

Kakashi groaned while shaking his head. He had never heard Sakura use such strong language and for her to defend Sasuke was beyond him. Naruto was no better than Sakura though he deducted. Sakura hated Naruto yet each and everyday it was the same thing. Naruto would ask her out. She'd punch him in the face-or groin. Then she would storm off leaving Naruto bloodied up and bruised. Even so, on most occasions someone was always there to clean him up. The shy little princess everyone knew to be Hinata Hyuuga.

Kakashi stayed quiet as Sakura passed by still cursing Naruto under her breath. Like clockwork, Naruto fell down to the ground and Hinata rushed over to his side and proceeded to bandage him up. Because Naruto was a fast healer thanks to the nine tailed fox, it was pretty pointless for Hinata to help him yet Kakashi never bothered to tell her this bit of info. For starters, it was not his style to get involved in the affairs of mere children. Even though they were all of age, their behavior at best was mirrored after mere twelve year olds.

Then there was the fact that based on careful observation Hinata seemed to enjoy helping Naruto. Everyone in the Leaf Village knew Hinata to be the shy Hyuuga princess and heir to the Hyuuga throne yet no one paid her any attention. It wasn't that Hinata tried to be invisible but because she never said anything and kept to herself a lot, she was always just…ignored.

Kakashi watched Naruto thank Hinata before disappearing leaving her on the training field all alone. Normally she would just sit down and start reading a book but not today. Today was different. She dropped to her knees, her head between the palms of her hands and began to weep. Kakashi sat there for several minutes watching her cry. She's never done this before. _Could it be that the emotional strain that she's been putting herself through everyday is finally getting to her?_

_---------------------------------------- _

Hinata had finally reached her breaking point. For years it had been the same thing day after day. She would sit behind a tree pretending to be engulfed in a magazine or novel when all the while she would be watching Kakashi's team train, especially Naruto. They would come each day when they had not been assigned a mission to combat train or just practice some jutsu. Sasuke would always get away quickly after practice leaving Naruto and Sakura behind. That was when Naruto usually began begging Sakura for a date and it always ended the exact same way, which would result in her having to go and aid him. He would always thank her before running off to get ramen. Today however was different. A simple thank you just would not do. She had reached her breaking point and as much as she loved Naruto it was time to let him go. It was now clearer than ever that he would never love her the way that she loved him and therefore it was the end.

---------------

An hour had passed and Hinata was still sitting in that same spot. She had managed to reduce her crying to just small sobs Kakashi noted but he still couldn't help but to feel a bit sorry for the girl. He had only been in close contact with her a few times but where others failed to notice her, he did not. Sakura was loud and very outspoken- a complete turn off in his opinion. Since Sasuke was very much like him, he was pretty sure that was the reason why Sakura had no chance in hell of landing him, unless of course he just wanted to have sex. Hinata was everything opposite Sakura: quiet, very reserved- probably a perfect match for someone like Sasuke.

Kakashi closed his eyes to think. Normally he wouldn't get involved in such silly antics but he was bored and it wasn't as if he had anything better to do besides read the Toad Sage's magazines or meet women for discreet fun; both which were starting to get old. What he really needed was a new hobby or a woman to call his own but he knew with his line of work it would never happen nor was he ready to open his heart to anyone ever again. He needed a change. _Some training ought to do the trick…or matchmaking_. Kakashi smiled as he gathered his things and made a sprint through the treetops. _I think I'll pay Lord Hokage a visit_. Things were about to get very interesting very quickly.

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AN: I hope you stick around to see how this turns out. If you like Metamorphosis then you may like this one. Te he he Expect some angst...okay expect lots of angst. Now REVIEW! Laterz 


	2. Welcome To The Team

"Kakashi, you wanted to see me about something?" Tsunade asked. She sat at her desk with her arms propped up looking bored as usual.

"Yes Lord Hokage. I need…I have a favor to ask of you."

"Go on."

"I want Hinata Hyuuga to join my team. I want to train her myself." Tsunade just stared at him curiously, raising an eyebrow out of concern.

"Uh…well, I don't…see how this…could be a problem for me," she replied slowly. "However, don't you think it would be an issue not to mention an injustice to her teammates?"

"Uh…honestly? No."

"Oh really?"

"Well, as you know 5th, I usually keep to myself. When I am alone reading my novels…"

"Novels you call them?"

"Uh…Master Jariaya's great works, I see and hear things most people normally wouldn't on a day to day basis. Today was just like any other day. I watched two of my own pupils get in a fight…"

"Naruto and Sasuke?" Tsunade asked quickly. She had sat up straight now giving Kakashi her undivided attention. It was never a good sign when Naruto and Sasuke were at odds.

"No…Sakura and Naruto."

"Oh," she said her voice full of relief. "I see. Please continue."

"I'm sure you can deduce what it was about."

"Yes," she sighed. "A date. Naruto wanted a date."

"And you know Sakura's answer."

"She said no."

"Right again. Anyway Hinata usually runs out and helps Naruto after he gets hurt by bandaging him up and things of that sort."

"How does she…? Is she _still_ stalking that poor boy?" she asked incredulously.

"Uh, can I finish?"

"Oh…yeah…continue."

"Like clockwork, she rushed to Naruto's aid. He thanked her like he always does but then instead of her sitting next to a tree to read a book like she's been doing in the past, she dropped to her knees and started to cry."

"Um…ok…so what exactly is your point? How does this relate to her teammates?"

"I watch them like I watch my own pupils. They completely ignore Hinata just like Naruto and if she is on my team it won't be that way."

"How you figure?"

"Well…I have plans."

"Why do I get the feeling that there is more to this story than you're letting on?" Tsunade scratched her head and closed her eyes to think. _What harm could it do really, if Hinata joined Kakashi's team?_ Hell, Kakashi was one of the best in the village and he had one of the best teams overall…well…sortof. _Naruto is an idiot. Sasuke is a hot head and Sakura is a vanity hawk._ Hinata would be the odd person on the squad but at the same time she would fit right in.

"So you want the girl to join the team so that you can train her? In a nut shell, it would be a type of confidence training in order to make her forget about Naruto, am I correct?"

"Uh…something like that."

"I don't buy that at all Kakashi but after giving it some thought I'll grant your request but on these terms. First off, I need more training time with Sakura. Secondly, I think she should take Hinata's place and join Shino and Kiba. It will be weird at first but it will help her get her head out of the clouds and focus on someone other than that damn Sasuke."

"Fine. As you wish. You know, she's not going to be happy about this."

"I know…which is why you're the one who's breaking the news to her and don't you dare send her to me upset or else. Got it?"

"Yeah yeah," he chuckled before disappearing to find Hinata.

---

---

Hinata stood to her feet and started wandering deeper into the forest. She wasn't in the mood to face anyone right now, especially Naruto. It would only be too obvious what had happened and she did not wish for him to see her all angry and filled with mixed emotions. Hinata was about to stop and start practicing some jutsu when loud poof from behind made her jump behind the tree.

"It's alright Lady Hinata. It's just me Kakashi." She peered around the tree slowly to see Kakashi smiling down at her.

"Oh…um…Kakashi sensei…I…what are you…?"

"I came to see you actually," he said softly. The confused look on Hinata's face only made him chuckle. _Such innocence…_"I came to see you to tell you some news."

"News?"

"Yes, there has been a change in the team lineups and you are now part of my squad."

"Huh? Wha…wha…No…that can't be…" she stammered.

"Your father will be notified by the 5th in a few about the change up. I think it will be good for you. Besides, I bet you'll do great. Sasuke and Naruto need something new to fawn over besides Sakura." The horrified look on Hinata's face only made Kakashi sigh. "I was joking Hinata. Anyway, I will see you first thing in the morning at the training grounds. Do try not to be late alright?"

"I…but Kakashi sensei sir…you don't understand. I can't be on the same…" Her voice trailed off and her throat knotted up. She couldn't be on the same team with the man she just gave up on. She was still n love with him and yet she was now being forced to work with him?

"I know…I mean…between you and me, I know how you feel about Naruto but it's going to be alright. I would not have pushed for this so hard if I thought things would go bad for you," he replied reassuringly. "If anything, you'll always have me to back you up so don't worry okay princess?" She looked up at him and nodded tearfully. "Ok. So we'll see you tomorrow right?"

"Yes…yes sir." He smiled before poofing away leaving Hinata alone once again to be miserable. This new line-up…Everything was about to change and Hinata wondered whether or not she would be able to keep it together. She hoped so for her sake and Narutos'.

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AN: Chapters are shorter than I thought they would be but I hope you are still enjoying them. I know there's only been two chapters so far but hey it will get better over time. I have way too many fics going on right now. I really need to quit. Anyway tell me what you think. Review. Flame. Whatever. Love you lots. 


	3. Sasuke To the Rescue

Hinata arose bright and early the next morning but she was in no hurry to leave for practice. Today would be her first day as a member of Kakashi sensei's team and the thought alone was making her sick.

_I would not have pushed for this so hard if I thought things would go bad for you…_

"Yeah right," she grumbled. Why on earth was Kakashi so concerned about her? No one ever paid attention to her so the idea of him pushing to have her part of his squad was just mind boggling. Hinata looked in the mirror one final time before heading out the door. She had no idea what was going to happen and how she was going to cope but she had to at least try. Life was going to go on whether Naruto liked her or not.

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When Kakashi arrived at the practice field, he wasn't the least bit shocked that Sasuke and Naruto were already there.

"You are actually here on time. Wow. Something must be up," Sasuke grumbled. Naruto on the other hand just continued to lay back against a near by tree, his eyes shut as he concentrated his chakra into a ball in his hand.

"Well, since we're all here there's something I need to tell you," Kakashi stated.

"Um…forgive me sensei, not trying to be a smart ass or anything but Sakura isn't here yet."

"I know Sasuke, which is why I need to have a word with you guys. You see, Sakura will no longer be training with us. In fact, she is officially no longer apart of this team." _Here we go…_

"WHAT?! WHADAYA MEAN SHE AIN'T ON THE TEAM NO MORE?! KAKASHI SENSEI?!?!?! WHAT HAPPENED?!?!?!" Naruto had jumped up and was now red in the face with fury.

"Naruto, you're such a loser," Sasuke grumbled. I for one am kind of glad that she is no longer going to be around."

"SHUT UP SASUKE!!" Naruto yelled.

"Naruto, calm down," Kakashi said with a sigh. "You are being ridiculous. Anyway, you and Sasuke both knew that you all were not always going to be on the same team. Now the Hokage and I have changed the line-up and hopefully it will help our team become stronger in areas where we are weak."

"So…she's being replaced?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"Yes…and…"

"HINATA?!?! What are YOU doing here?" Naruto asked. Hinata had just walked up and she was now frozen stiff. Kakashi turned and saw here standing there, her face drained of color. He smiled at her and motioned for her to come forward but she did not move. Kakashi turned and frowned at Naruto.

"Naruto, can you get anymore dumber than you look? Hinata is the newest member of this team and I expect you to treat her like you would treat Sakura. Got it? That goes for you too Sasuke."

"Aw…man…yeah ok. Don't see how SHE'S going to help us become stronger," Naruto mumbled. Hinata shot a pleading look at Kakashi before turning and running back through the forest leaving her new team behind.

"Sasuke will you go get Hinata and bring her back here?" Kakashi asked. "I need to have a word with Naruto…alone," he grimaced, straitening his mask so that his Sharingan eye was exposed. Sasuke just laughed and hurried off towards the forest to find Hinata.

---

---

Sasuke walked through the forest looking around for Hinata. He soon spotted her behind a large apple tree, sitting with her head between her knees. Sasuke sighed. One thing he hated about girls was the fact that they were so easy to cry. The other thing, was that they talked entirely too much, but Hinata was an exception to the second. Being that he didn't know her all that well, he wasn't sure whether she talked at all. The most he'd ever heard her talk was…never now that he thought about it. He sighed as he walked over to her.

"Hinata. Kakashi sent me to get you. Come on. We need to start practicing so that we can learn how to work together."

"I…I'm sorry but I can't. Naruto…"

"Naruto is an idiot. I mean, honestly you were the last person I expected but I figure no one could be as bad as Sakura." Hinata still did not seem convinced as she made no attempt to move from her spot. "Hinata…Hinata please…" Sasuke bent over and lifted her head with his hand. Their eyes met briefly and Sasuke was immediately hit by…he wasn't quite sure what it was but in that brief second he noticed all sorts of things about Hinata. For starters, he noticed that her eyes were very pretty, soulful even like two orbs piercing his soul. Then there was the fact that she was actually…kind of pretty, beautiful even but she wasn't his type and besides, he hadn't the time to be fooling with girls, except for the obvious, casual sex and sex with Hinata was the last thing on his mind.

"Um…Sasuke?" she whispered.

"Oh, um…yeah, I'm sorry," he mumbled. He backed away and extended his hand helping her to her feet. She hesitated before following him back towards the training field with a sour look about her face. "You shouldn't worry. Naruto was just shocked to see you that's all. You're not at all what we expected and when he said 'stronger' we were thinking maybe Neji or someone. Besides, Kakashi wouldn't have agreed to have you on the team if he didn't believe you could benefit the team somehow now cheer up." She looked over and he gave her a reassuring smile as they headed back to the training field.

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AN: Another short chapter but I have decided that I like the short chapters. Of course, as the story progresses I'll throw in some really long chapters so brace yourself, but not right now. I hope you read and review. Now for my annual cheep plug-----Go read my other Neji/Hinata fic. That is all now review! Bwahahaha I'll try to update again tomorrow...or sometime this weekend. I have to work. Ugh! How lame! 


	4. Helping Hands

"Welcome back Sasuke and Hinata. Now let's get down to business shall we? I'm sure Naruto won't mind will you?" he asked glaring at Naruto. Naruto shook his head no as Sasuke and Hinata stood in their places. "Now then, today I thought we'd do some combat training. You know, to get a feel for one another."

"Uh…sensei, I don't know about this. What? You want Naruto and me to fight a…girl? I mean, it was ok when it was Sakura because we all know that Tsunade has been training her on the off days, but…" Sasuke cast a wary look towards Hinata as she shifted her feet, staring aimlessly at the ground.

"I see your point Sasuke and it has been noted but all the same, I don't think you should take the lady too lightly. I had a word with Hiashi and Neji. Hinata's a lot stronger than you think. Yes, she has her weak points but it's nothing that can't be fixed with a little team work and training. Now Naruto you're up first against Hinata. Oh and no shadow clones please."

"Aw man. That sucks, but hey no matter. I'm sure I won't need them," he said smirking. Hinata glanced up at her new sensei but he only nodded signaling her to take her place in front of Naruto. _This ought to prove interesting…_

"Alright then….fight!"

Naruto ran at Hinata full speed tossing a few shurigan which she easily avoided using her Byakugan. When they finally met up, Hinata was able to match Naruto blow for blow. Even so, she was the first to take a fall. _Naruto's way too strong for her…_With one left hook Hinata was sent flying through the air towards Sasuke, who jumped up and caught her with ease before she could hit a nearby tree.

"Ooo…Hinata…I…I'm sorry…but…" Naruto stammered nervously, but Hinata just smiled weakly.

"It's…it's ok Naruto. I…I'm glad that you didn't go…easy on me." Kakashi watched as Sasuke smiled down at the woman in his arms_. Looks like it won't take too long to set those two up but I was hoping maybe Naruto would notice her too…_

"You know, you really gave Naruto hell," Sasuke commented while helping his new team mate to her feet.

"Thanks," she replied weakly, limping forward to take her place again in front of Naruto.

"Uh…I think that's enough for today. You did well Hinata but I want a word with you alone. Naruto…Sasuke…you're dismissed."

"ALRIGHT! MAYBE TODAY WILL BE THE DAY THAT SAKURA FINALLY AGREES TO GO OUT WITH ME!"

"You're such a loser Naruto," Sasuke mumbled before running after his team mate leaving Hinata and Kakashi alone.

"Hinata, come with me." Hinata followed Kakashi through the forest until they came to a stop at a nearby creek. He sat down on the grass near the creek and motioned for Hinata to come and sit too.

"Why are we…?"

"You're hurt. I'm going to patch you up here and talk to you about some weak points I saw in your fight against Naruto." She sat down Indian style in front of Kakashi and stared at the ground. She had lost her match today against the man she loved. She did her best but it wasn't good enough to get his attention. In fact, it would seem as if it only made things worse. How would she be able to face him the next time? She thought that once she'd declared to forget about him that all thoughts of trying to get his attention would go away but they did not. All she could think about while fighting him was doing her best so that he would notice her…approve of her…recognize how much stronger she had become and maybe, just maybe offer her a date instead of Sakura but…it did not happen and right now all she wanted to do was just crawl in a hole and just stay there forever. She did not even realize that she was crying until she felt Kakashi's hand on the side of her face wiping the tears under her eyelids with his thumbs.

"Hinata? Why are you so sad princess?"

"I…I lost…" she whispered but he just chuckled at her.

"So you lost? It's going to be ok. I promise. In fact, that's what I wanted to talk with you about. You see, I don't think you lost because you lack the skills to win. I personally think you are much better at taijutsu than Naruto."

"Huh? Re…really?"

"Of course. I just think that your biggest problem lies in your lack of confidence in yourself."

"Well…I…Naruto's just better than me."

"No. Naruto's just _stronger_ than you but not better. You have your cousin to thank for that one and one of your former team mates, Kiba. You remember some time ago at the Chunin exams? Kiba whooped Naruto in hand to hand combat but lost because he wasn't thinking straight. Naruto is a strong adversary but that doesn't mean he can't be matched in certain areas."

"Oh…well…um…I guess you're right."

"Well, I don't know much about boosting one's confidence but I figure a good way to start would be to just make you work one on one with either me, Naruto, or Sasuke on different days except for the days I call for a full practice."

"Huh? Kakashi sensei, I don't think…I don't know if…" she stammered but Kakashi put a hand up signaling for her to be silent.

"Hinata, I'm only doing this to help you. If you can get used to training alone with others then when you train with us as a group it will be easier for you to fight. Besides that, Sasuke and I can help you sharpen your taijutsu skills being that our Sharingan can't copy your Byakugan. When you train with Naruto, you'll be able to sharpen your gekegenki pinpointing Naruto from his multi-shadow clone jutsu—his kage bushins."

"Oh…well…I guess…ok," she mumbled. She was about to stand up and leave but the pain in her stomach forced her to stay seated. She twisted up her face in pain hoping that Kakashi wouldn't notice but he did.

"Hinata? You're hurt bad. Lift up your shirt."

"Huh? No…I…"

"Lift up your shirt or I will do it myself," he commanded. She winced as she tried to lift her shirt but the pain in her arms was just too much. "Hmmm…looks like Naruto really did a number on you. That boy doesn't know his own strength. That fox spirit…he has got to learn to control it. Hinata, I am going to use my kunai to cut your shirt off of you."

She nodded and watched as he took out a knife and cut her shirt right down the middle. The cool breeze from the creek made Hinata shudder and she was starting to regret ever getting out of bed. Kakashi took out a cloth and wet it in the creek before turning to survey the wounds on her stomach and arms. Immediately his eyes darted, not for the wounds on her body but for the pretty red bra that was highlighting the curve of each breast. He forced his eyes to look downward but instead of a cut, he was taken by the arch of her tummy and where it was pointing. He closed his eyes for a second and then opened them, praying that she had not noticed his gawking. God forbid he was gawking at a…pupil. When he finally convinced his eyes to stop gawking, he noticed a small gash on the right side of her stomach and two more on each arm. They were chakra burns, which was why she was having trouble moving.

"Ahh, I see the problem. Nothing a little water and peroxide can't fix." He reached in his pocket pulling out a small brown bottle and poured its contents onto the cloth before moving to sit behind her. Hinata closed her eyes when she felt his hands touch her stomach, the warmth of them coming as a great surprise. She was nervous and slightly embarrassed about being so exposed yet she began to relax as he rubbed her arms and then sides gently, working his way across her tummy and round to her back. A soft moan escaped her lips as he continued to dab her sides and back with the cloth until he noticed how dry the peroxide was making her skin. He reached into another jacket pocket and pulled out a small bottle of aloe vera. He poured a little in his hands rubbing them together before running his hands down Hinata's back. He slowly caressed each shoulder bone in a circular motion then worked his way down her spine and over to her sides again. Another moan escaped her lips and she leaned back into his arms.

"Hinata," he whispered. "I'm not done yet." He slid his arms around her waist and grabbed the pieces of torn shirt off the ground in front of her before sliding them past her waistline again. He tied the torn pieces together before wrapping the shirt around her waist using it as a bandage. For a moment they both just sat there before Kakashi broke the silence. "Um…Hinata? I think you can move now. Your burns shouldn't be all that bad anymore."

"Oh…yeah. Sorry," she whispered. She looked down and saw that she had been patched up pretty good. She lifted her arms and was pleased that they no longer hurt anymore. Hinata stood up to leave but then realized that she had no shirt on. She immediately went pale in the face, throwing her arms over her chest embarrassed. Kakashi took notice of this and took off his jacket giving it to her to wear.

"Keep it til our next practice. I don't know when it will be because you will be working with Sasuke tomorrow morning. Anyway, I have to get going. You think you can manage now?"

"Uh…yes…sensei sir."

"Alright then. Later."

Kakashi disappeared only to reappear in front of the local bar. He sat down and ordered a bottle of sake trying to shake thoughts of what had just happened. Hinata had moaned? No, maybe it was all in his head yet he still couldn't shake the thought. Maybe she had not realized what she was doing but when she leaned back against him, another possible moan had escaped her lips and he couldn't help but to remember how sweet it sounded. _I am losing my mind…I need a drink._

"Eh Kakashi?" Kakashi looked to his right to find Guy sitting next to him frowning. "You look like you've had a rough morning."

"You have no idea Guy. No idea…"

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AN: I seriously need to go easy on the fluff but I can't help it. Gahh...This was a longer chapter than the rest but rest assure it will keep flip flopping--some really long and some really short. Just depends on my mood. I will do my best to give you one or two more good updates before I get out for Christmas break. That would mean 3-4 whole weeks without updates. Sad I know but that's how it is when you're in college. Now review...flame...Um...yeah. Lots of love guys: 


	5. Dirty Thoughts and Forbidden Relations

**Dirty Thoughts and Forbidden Relations**

Sasuke woke bright and early the next day then hurried off to the training field. He wasn't too angry about having to get up early and train but he had no idea how he was going to train with Hinata. He had no idea what Hinata's main weaknesses were and he was pretty certain that she didn't have a whole lot of strengths either. Sasuke leaned back against a stump and closed his eyes. Minutes later he could hear Hinata walking towards him. He opened his eyes and was surprised to see how…good she looked. _She's never looked this good before…has she? _She was wearing some black biker shorts and a light pink, spaghetti strap tank. Her hair was hanging freely, the wind whipping through it making it ripple. He was so entranced by it that he didn't hear her speak at first.

"Huh? I'm sorry," he grumbled. "I was just thinking about some training tactics." _Yeah right. Actually I was watching the wind whip through your beautiful hair and was imagining my hands running through it…_

"Oh it's…its ok. So um…where do you want me?"

"Uh…just stand back a few feet. I'll stay here and we'll do a little one on one." _I almost blurted out something I shouldn't have. Where do you want me? Hmph. How about in my arms moaning with pleasure as my hands roam your body…_

"Okay." She moved back and took a fighting stance. Her gentle fist style was very unique and Sasuke could not wait to see how his taijutsu would compare to hers. He only hoped that he'd be able to focus better because right now he was still trying to get over the fact that she was hot.

"Get ready," he smirked positioning himself. "Three-two-one." He ran at her and they started to fight. The fighting was slow and steady with Hinata matching him blow for blow. "Very good Hinata but if I were to do a little something like this…" He grabbed both her arms and tossed her over his shoulder pinning her to the ground. "How will you get out of this Hinata?" She just laid there. The shocked look on her face made him grin.

"I…guess you got me."

_Got you? Yeah…I wish. At this moment I wish I could get you in my bed. Imagine the possibilities…_

"Uh…yeah. So let's try it again. This time, you need to try to anticipate the move and then try to counter it." _Damn. We haven't been here an hour and already I am losing my mind. I'm not that attracted to her…she just took me off guard. Alright. Focus Sasuke._ He turned to face her again but was caught off guard by her by her stretching. She had done a split and her eyes were closed, the wind blowing her hair across her face. _Oh my God…that split is beautiful. I bet her feet could reach my mouth if I stood over her…running my hands up those creamy thighs…_

"Sasuke? I'm…I'm ready now. Are…you okay?"

"Huh?" He snapped back to reality, realizing that Hinata was now standing in position to strike. _No, I'm not ok. I have never been this distracted before and I need to get a fucking grip. It's just Hinata…poor, shy, innocent, sweet Hinata…fine as hell Hinata…Oh fuck. _"Yeah."

"O…K…so here I come." _Cum? Oh how I'd make you cum…_Before he knew it he was lying on the ground with Hinata on top of him, a kunai at his throat. _What the hell…?_ _When did she…? _

"Got you!" she squealed excitedly.

"Oh damn. I guess you did," he managed. He needed her to get off of him. The bulge in his pants was already aching to be free but lying there he noticed how pouty her lips looked. _So kissable…_When she licked her lips he wanted to just die. He closed his eyes and prayed silently. _God…please…before I do something that I'll regret._

"Sasuke, looks like you're the one that needs some extra training." They both jumped at the sound of Kakashi's voice.

"Yeah whatever. She's quicker than I thought she would be. I'll have to remember not to underestimate her anymore." Hinata pulled Sasuke up off the ground and he walked off. "Sensei, we need to talk when you get some free time. I have…something I wanna discuss with you." Kakashi smiled down at him and nodded.

"How long have you two been at it?" _We haven't been at anything…but if I was a bad person we would have been at it for hours…_

"Uh…about an hour and a half. That's about all I can manage today sensei." Kakashi stared at him curiously before nodding at him.

"Alright. You can go now Sasuke. I'll stay with her for another thirty minutes or so. You get tomorrow off. I'll let Naruto have a turn." Kakashi leaned over and began to whisper. "Did something…happen?"

"No…it's…nothing. Just…why do we have to work alone with her?" He was now sweating and feeling very frustrated.

"Because it will help you get to know her better and it's a way for you to bond as teammates. It's very important to know your teammates strengths and weaknesses. You'll fight better as a team."

"Yeah but…" He cut his eyes back over at Hinata and this time she was bending over in preparation for a hand stand. He watched as her legs went straight up into the air then parted. She kept opening and closing them and each time he would watch as if hypnotized.

"Wow," they said softly. Kakashi and Sasuke looked at one another briefly before quickly turning away. They both had said the same thing but were they wowing the same thing? _There's just no way Kakashi was thinking what I was thinking…He was probably just surprised that she could move like that. One thing's for sure, he'll never know that I just imagined myself in between those beautiful thighs…_Kakashi cleared his throat making Sasuke jump.

"Uh…well, was there anything else you needed?"

"No. I'm leaving now. I need…something to drink. I'm hot." And with that Sasuke ran off leaving them behind.

* * *

**AN:**_Another update is coming soon. Don't get too upset about the short chappy. I told ya'll that I will fluctuate between short chapters and long chapters—just depends on my mood and my train of thought. School time is nearing and writing will become scarcer. When I finish these, I probably won't write anymore…not that I am much of a writer anyway, but that's beside the point. Hope you enjoy these updates and when I retire from the wonderful world of writing, I hope you will continue to read my stories when you're bored. Laterz._


	6. A Tempting Offer

**  
**

Kakashi just stood there for a moment thinking silently to himself. _It would seem that Sasuke is lusting after Hinata. I am so good. This is working out better than I thought it would._ He laughed to himself before heading towards Hinata. He stopped short when her legs parted again making him curse. His eyes trailed from her feet…down her leg…past her thigh…But then she closed them again. _What am I thinking?_

"Hinata? Are you ready to train some more?" She lost balance and started falling backwards but he got there just in time. Her feet were now right in his face, his hands clasping her legs holding her up. She wriggled her feet a little and the ball of her foot brushed his nose._Her feet are so soft…_He rubbed his nose in her foot, his lips brushing them lightly. Before he realized what was happening, his hands were running up her thighs and to her legs.

"Sensei?"

"Oh…um…you probably want to get up now." He stood back and watched her flip into a standing position before falling back into his arms…again.

"I am…so…dizzy."

"Yeah, you should be. You've been standing upside down for so long. There's no telling how much blood is rushing from your head. I think you should take the rest of the day off."

"Okay….but is…is Sasuke alright? I didn't mean to attack him like that, but I thought…he was ready…I told him I was coming but…he did seem kind of…dazed or something," she stammered.

"Yes, Sasuke will be just fine. He just…got a bit of a headache." _Kinda like I do now…but for entirely different reasons…_

"Okay. Well I'll just be going…" She tried to stand on her feet but she fell down again. This time Kakashi scooped her in his arms and started towards the forest.

"You're still dizzy from the exercising. Did you use your true gentle fist style this morning?"

"Yeah…Sasuke told me to use it. The chakra…I don't think I hit anything vital. My aim was terrible."

"Oh that's ok. I'm sure some of your dizziness is coming from your lack of chakra. So where to princess?"

"Well um…you didn't have to carry me. I was just…gonna lay in the grass and maybe take a nap or something."

"I see. So are you allowed to be out here all alone? What about Neji?"

"He's…training with uncle. I'm fine. I'll just…"

"Let me carry you closer to the village." As he carried her through the forest, he became well aware of how little she was wearing. The tight little biker shorts were barely covering anything. He could feel her smooth legs on his skin and he tried his best not to notice her thighs. Then she made matters worse by wearing a skin tight tank. With her lying in his arms like that, he had to fight to keep his eyes from staring at her breasts, which were sitting ever so nicely on her chest.

"Sensei?"

"Hmmm?"

"I think I want to stay right here. We're in the village square now."

"Oh…huh?"_Damn. How long have I been staring at her breasts?_ "Yeah, I'm sorry. That headache…I need a nap…or a drink." He put her down gently in front of the flower shop and bid her a good day.

Hinata leaned back against the tree and smiled as she watched Kakashi walk off. She had never known much about the masked man but she had always been curious. Of all the jonin in the village next to Neji of course, he was the only one that ever really acknowledged her existence. Whenever he would see her walk by, he would always nod or say hello. Other people wouldn't even notice she was there unless she spoke first. For that very same reason she had started liking Naruto. When they were younger, Naruto was the only person besides Kiba and Shino who would go out of their way to say hello. He still acknowledged her but now a simple hello just wasn't enough. She wanted something more…not to mention the fact that she was constantly reminded each day of how she was 'of age' by her father. It wouldn't be long before her father started pushing her towards Neji. Now that she and Neji were past their differences, they were probably going to be forced into marriage. Not that it would be a problem. She loved Neji to death and there were times when they would have 'moments' but they were too weird to explain or make a big deal out of.

"Hinata!" Hinata opened her eyes to see Naruto staring down at her. _Oh my God…_He wasn't wearing a shirt and he was wet. His hair was all curly and he was wearing the biggest of grins.

"Uh…hey…Naruto. What's…up?"

"I was just coming to check on you. I saw Sasuke and he was just…moody as hell. Did you whoop him pretty good this morning?" he asked grinning.

"Well…no…I don't think so."

"Awe, well that's ok. Anyway, I come to tell you that our one on one practice will be tomorrow night at the hot spring. I'm going to start where that closet perve Ebisu started me off. I think it'll be fun and exciting! Meet me around nine. We should be out no more than an hour unless you want more time. I usually practice late at night anyway. There are fewer distractions."

"Oh ok. I'll...be there."

"Great! Oh…and you may want to wear something light…a swim suit or something, you know, just in case." He grinned again before disappearing. Hinata let out a huge breath and groaned. She had just agreed to be alone…at night…with the man she loved. How on earth was she going to get through it? She had no idea but she was going to have to try. She needed the training and after all Kakashi sensei had done for her, she didn't want to disappoint him.

-------------------------

"Kakashi, what's with you? I beat you too easily earlier today and it's just not like you to be so…unfocused. What's going on?" Kakashi took another sip of his sake and groaned.

"I think…I need to quit putting my nose in where it doesn't belong."

"What have you done?"

"I thought I'd play a little game of matchmaker to entertain myself but it would seem that I've made a terrible mistake."

"How so? I heard Hinata was now on your team although I don't think Neji is too happy about it. I think he may be worried about Hinata's crush on Naruto."

"Oh I don't think he should worry about Naruto. Hinata's got bigger problems." He took another sip of his drink and let out a sigh. "Guy, I think I'm losing my mind man. Hinata…I don't know if I…"

"Why? Is she _that _bad?"

"No…"

"Then what?"

"She's…a distraction. Yesterday, I was noticing her breasts. Today, I was feeling on her legs and thighs. Today, I was noticing a pupil…a student…the Hyuuga princess and that is forbidden!" He slammed his cup onto the table and groaned out of frustration.

"Oh…oh man. That's…wow."

"I know. And as much as I get around…" he sighed. "You know I just can't understand why I'm noticing her so much. I think Sasuke had the same problem this morning except it was really bad for him. Guy, I can't let this happen. Not that I would intentionally let anything happen because I wouldn't but I don't even need to be looking at her like that…in that way. Its bad business not to mention her father would kill me."

"Yeah I think Hiashi would freak. Just…stay away for a while. Leave her to Naruto and Sasuke. If one of them hooks up with her then you'll have nothing to worry about."

"Yeah…maybe you're right. That is the plan…I was hoping it would be Naruto but if Sasuke starts noticing her too then that's fine with me. I just need her around long enough to help improve Naruto's taijutsu skills and maybe help her out with her confidence problem. She's really quite skillful in her gentle fist style. She just lacks power and confidence."

"I see. Well everything will be alright. You just need to get a grip. I had the same problem a few weeks ago. That…Tenten…but I don't think I need to bore you with my problems…"

"Oh come off it Guy. You having trouble with a student is unlike you. What exactly happened?"

"Well…I'd rather not say," he grumbled.

"Fine. Be that way. I guess since I won our bought yesterday that would make us tied. I guess we'll stay that way unless I decide to fight you again."

"Awe Kakashi…that's…that's low even for you. You know there's no one else that will do my crazy training…Oh alright…but…this is serious. You can't…don't judge me because I'd never judge you."

"I wouldn't. You're my best friend…even though you are such a dork."

"Whatever man. So you know how I used to wear that crazy jumper all the time? Well, lately I have been going for a different look. I…don't know why. I guess I just got up one morning and decided to try something new. Well…I've been doing it for the last month or so."

"I've noticed."

"Yeah well so has someone else."

"You mean Tenten."

"Precisely. You see…I've been doing a lot of one on one training with her late in the afternoons three nights a week for the last month or so. Her weapon skills cannot be matched but she's very weak. I started doing private lessons in order to do a little strength training with her. I tried to get her to work with Tsunade and Sakura but she said she felt comfortable being with me. I thought nothing of it of course. Well…during those practice sessions…I don't know…I guess you could say we have become closer…and it's not what it…Christ I have no idea what we are. It's been weird lately and I've had to distance myself from her."

"So…she…likes you?"

"I don't know. She has it in her mind that she likes me but I think it's just her raging hormones but…sometimes I just don't know Kakashi. The way she kissed me…"

---

"_Guy sensei…"_

"_Tenten please…stay back. I mean, don't…come any closer. You're…I have no where else to go," he pleaded as his back collided with the tree. Tenten closed in on him, her arms encircling his waist pulling him close to her. She rested her head on his bare chest but he just let his arms hang freely by his side."_

"_Guy sensei…I'm sorry. I just…I can't help it. I feel…something but I don't know what. The least you could do is admit that you feel something for me too."_

"_I…I can't. You're a child and…"_

"_I AM NOT A CHILD!" she hissed. "I am a full grown woman and I know what I want or how I feel."_

"_Alright. I'm…I'm sorry," he whispered. "But you're still just a student…and I think you just have a silly crush now let me go." He pushed her away and started walking away but she grabbed his arm pulling him back. "Tenten, what did I…" She kicked him in the groin before tossing him onto the ground. She covered his mouth with her own, forcing her tongue down his throat. He put up a struggle but only for a few seconds. Her warm tongue only intrigued him awakening urges that had long been suppressed by those tiring missions from day to day. His hands cupped her rear, giving it a gentle squeeze as her lips made their way down his chest. He could feel his arousal kick in but her high pitched giggle brought him back to reality. He grabbed her arms flipping her over using both hands to pin her shoulders to the ground._

"_I said enough! I can't…this can't happen ever again. Our lessons…are over until you can learn to control yourself!" he growled._

_--- _

"So…you…"

"Yeah. I haven't seen her in almost a month except for the three full practices that I called. Neji works with us sparingly now that he's a jonin himself. As for Lee, he spends most of his days training alone. I don't know why but I think he's still feeling inferior to your Sasuke and Naruto. Anyway, the last full practice we had was hell. She spent most of her time gazing longingly at me and I felt extremely uncomfortable. Neji kept cutting me knowing looks and to top it off, at one point I had pictured her naked." He grabbed Kakashi's sake and drank the rest of it.

"Well…now I don't feel so bad," Kakashi joked. "Let's get out of here and go have some fun."

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Guy asked chuckling.

"Nothing like a lap dance to cure all one's ills."

* * *

**AN:**_Okay. So some of you are probably thinking that I'm a sick freak for letting Tenten lust after Might Guy, but seriously, I don't think he's bad looking. I think he's just misunderstood because he acts goofy but all people have a soft, sensual side an I bet Guy is secretly a freak…but in a good way. Bwahaha Then again, if you have read my stories then you should have expected this. I like being different and so there you have it. Just so you know, you will never read a story that I have written that will have the following pairings: __**1. Neji,Tenten.**__ Why? Because that's wrong on so many levels. Hinata or nobody unless it's yaoi. __**2. Sakura, Kakashi.**__ Why? Because I don't like her and he could do so much better. __**3. Sakura, Itachi.**__ Why? I think he's too hot for that pink-haired prima donna. __**4. Sasuke, Sakura.**__ Why? Well honestly, I can't stand either one of them. Sakura is stuck on him like glue and he's full of himself so technically they're made for each other. However, I like him more than her so I feel he could do better. Let's see…now that I've ranted, expect another update soon. I have the next chapter written but I don't know when I'll post it. Later people._


	7. In Hot Water

Hinata approached the hot spring wearing some biker shorts and a white tank. She figured since it was dark, the white tank would show much of nothing. Not that Naruto would notice anyway. She wasn't really one for parading around in a bikini so the biker shorts would have to do. When she arrived at the hot spring, she found Naruto lying on his back in the water wearing only some swimming trunks. His eyes were closed but she could see the red chakra surrounding his body.

"Na…Naruto?" He lost his concentration and sank beneath the hot water.

"GAHHH!" He hurried out of the water and sat on the walkway next to Hinata. "Hinata! Sorry about that. I was just working on my chakra control. The pervy sage told me that my chakra control sucks and Kakashi sensei says I don't know my own strength, but he says that you may be able to help me some…which is great! I want to keep getting better and stronger. Can't have a weak hokage right?" he grinned.

"Uh…right," she managed. "So um…what do you…?"

"Oh yeah…I was thinking maybe we can have a few bouts on the water."

"Huh? You want to fight…?"

"Hell yeah! That other closet perve—I forget his name, but when he first started training me he made me walk on the water. When I couldn't control the chakra, I would sink and burn my ass. I figure it would be good motivation for the both of us," he grinned.

"Well…um…I suppose that will be alright." They both channeled some chakra before walking onto the water.

"Alright Hinata-chan. I'm coming at you with everything I've got, but we'll take it easy the first couple of rounds."

"No need Naruto. Give it your all."

"Alright." Naruto ran at Hinata, the water splashing effortlessly around his feet. He struck her easily in the stomach only to have her grab his arms flipping him backwards. He landed on his feet and tried to counter from behind but she was just as quick blocking his blow.

"You're pretty good Hinata," he huffed.

"Thanks."

"Now here I come again." He ran wildly at her but she did a back bend before standing on one hand spinning around. He tripped over her leg and fell into the hot spring.

"Oh…Naruto I'm…" But she was silenced by a hand covering her mouth while the other encircled her waist from behind.

"Gotcha princess," he whispered.

Naruto held onto Hinata for longer than he'd planned. Her long wet hair was covering half his face but he could still smell the sweet cherry blossom in her hair. He leaned in and brushed his nose in her hair taking a big whiff of it. His brain immediately wandered off and he found himself wondering whether or not all girls smelled that good. His nose wandered from her hair to her neck, which smelled equally delicious. He removed the hand from around her mouth using it to move some hair from around her neck, giving him a better view. It was a full moon and the light emitting from it made the drops of water shimmer.

Naruto didn't know why but all of a sudden he was thirsty. The water fountain was only a few feet away around the corner of the men's spa but the water on Hinata's neck looked much more inviting. He leaned over and began to lick water off of her neck, causing Hinata to moan with pleasure. The demon spirit within him started to stir and he could feel the kyuubi awakening urges he'd never had before. It was when he felt the hot water searing his body that he was brought back to reality. Both he and Hinata had hit the water and they both were now frantically trying to get out of it. Naruto got out first helping Hinata up too. They both sat on the pavement, panting heavily neither knowing quite what to say.

"There you are Naruto. I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Sasuke, what do you want? You know tonight was my night to train with Hinata."

"Yeah well Kakashi wanted me to let you know that Jiraiya wants a word with you in the morning. He said it was very important." Sasuke's eyes wandered over to Hinata and he wanted to just melt. She was stretched out on the pavement staring up at the sky, her body glowing from the drops of water illuminating off her skin. _God I want to taste…_His eyes wandered across her chest and he was pleasantly surprised to see how her nipples were visible through the white tee.

"Is there something else you wanted Sasuke?" Naruto asked. He was staring at his teammate curiously because for a moment it seemed as if Sasuke was on another planet.

"Um…no. Get back to practicing. You really need it…loser," he grinned before taking off into the night. Naruto sighed as he took his place next to Hinata. He was in no mood to chase down Sasuke and if he was to be completely honest with himself, he wasn't really in the mood to do much of anything. He was pretty sure of what Jiraiya wanted. It was going to be about Itachi…or Orochimaru…something to do with someone wanting to kill him off and steal his fox spirit.

"The story of my life," he grumbled.

"Na…Naruto? What's wrong?"

"Huh?" He had almost forgotten about Hinata. It seemed like all he had time to do lately was worry about whether or not he was going to live to see another day, forgetting his friends and the people who care for him in the process. "Oh, I'm sorry Hinata. I was just…thinking."

"Anything you want to talk about?" She sat up on the pavement and stared at him wondrously. It was the first time in a long time that they had ever been alone. It was also the first time that it was not totally one-sided. She now had his undivided attention and as his new teammate she wanted to be there for him.

"Oh it's nothing," he grinned.

She stared at him for a few seconds and he could feel his face burning. It was as though she could see right through him and her eyes, which he'd never noticed before tonight, but they were so beautiful that he felt himself getting lost within them. He could feel his body leaning forward but was too powerless to stop. His lips made contact with hers and to his surprise she responded. She pulled him closer wrapping her arms around his neck causing him to roll over on top of her. The kyuubi within him stirred again only this time it was a lot stronger. His senses were greatly sharpened and the sweet smell of Hinata was expanded tenfold. A low growl escaped his throat, his eyes flaming red with passion as his hands began to desperately wander down her sides.

"WHOA! GAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" There was a loud crash causing both Hinata and Naruto to jump. Naruto rolled off Hinata and jumped up, taking a defensive stance.

"ALRIGHT…WHO'S THERE?!?" he growled. The fox's spirit had not quite left him and he was aching for a fight.

"I'm…oof…coming…dammit." Naruto watched as the figure stumbled out of the rubble and made way towards him. "You know, we need to get better rocks near the hot spring. I could barely see a thing."

"_YOU!_ WHAT ARE YOU…? HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN THERE YOU PERVE?!?!" Jiraiya just laughed as he put away his binoculars.

"Well…um…long enough to see things get pretty interesting. So um…" He leaned over and whispered in Naruto's ear. "Is that the Hyuuga girl?"

"Uh…yeah but…"

"Ooo hoo she's a looker now! No wonder you were getting down and dirty…" Naruto drew back to hit him but Jiraiya caught his fist, blocking off the chakra.

"HEY, LET ME GO YOU BIG PERVE!"

"Calm down. Besides, it's a good thing I got here when I did. What have I told you about that chakra control? Your eyes are beat red and I…"

"I smell ramen. Do you…you got some ramen?" Naruto asked quickly.

"See? What did I tell you? No, I don't have any ramen but your nose is overly sensitive. I'm gonna get going now but you need to go too. We have things to do tomorrow and I need you focused for a change alright?"

"Sure thing," he mumbled. Jiraiya bid them both a good night before disappearing into the night.

"Na…Naruto? I think…I'll get going now. I don't…want my father to…"

"Oh…oh yeah…say Hinata-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"Let me walk you home."

"Sure thing." He grabbed a towel and draped it over her and they started towards the Hyuuga mansion.

* * *

AN:I know...short chapter but hey, I'm back in school so you know how that goes. From here on, I'll probably only update on the weekends...but we'll see. If I can get a good grip on my schedule and do all my readings ahead of time, I might be able to update during the week but I am making no promises. Now here are my warnings: For starters, I don't usually go for the "understood" parings. I like to venture and experiment. Some you may like and others...well...Anyway, that's how I roll. Another thing, I have a tendency to kill off major characters. That being said, don't get to comfortable with main characters. You never know what my brain will have in store for them. Last but most importantly is the MAIN PARING. All I can say is never assume and expect the unexpected. Of course, you won't have to worry too much in this story since I'm not planning to make it 35 chapters like my Neji/Hin one. But anyway, just thought I'd give you the heads up. Oh yeah...before I forget...Lemons. There will be lemons. If you don't like lemons, don't read. I don't necessarily like writing lemons but since I can't stop writing romance fics, what's a romance story without lemons? You have been warned. Bwahahahahahaha Now review lest I update in 25 days. That would be terribly evil of me. o.O 


	8. Giggles, Bulging Pants, and a Dojo

Hinata arose bright and early the next morning for her practice with Sasuke. She had not spoken with him since last night though it was very brief. He had stopped by the Hyuuga mansion as Naruto was getting ready to leave to tell her that practice with Kakashi had been changed. She was a little disappointed at first, for she had been kind of looking forward to practicing with Kakashi sensei hoping to learn more about Naruto-kun. After last night she was certain that maybe, just maybe she had given up too soon on the handsome young blonde.

She pulled her hair back into a pony tail, grabbed her gear, and then headed out the mansion for the training field. When she arrived there she did not see Sasuke anywhere. _Hmmm…that's odd. I could have sworn that he said to meet him here…_

"Hey Hinata-chan!" Hinata turned to see Tenten hurrying towards her.

"Uh…hey…"

"No need to look so confused princess," she giggled. "Sasuke is at Lee's dojo waiting for you. He sent me to get you."

"Oh okay. But why is he using the dojo today?"

"Well I am supposed to be working with Guy-sensei and Neji today here on the training field. Since I am going to be tossing weapons around I need the open space. Then there's that 'rotation' Neji uses..."

"Hai…I get it. Well uh…I guess I'll see you around then."

------------------------------

Guy watched as Hinata headed off towards the dojo and he let out a sigh. It was supposed to be a full practice with his team today but Neji was given a last minute mission with Lee and so he had to train with Tenten all alone. He thought about just cancelling practice for his sake but then again, he had never been one for doing what others thought was best including himself. He had always been up for a challenge but this was one challenge that had him scared shitless for the first time in his life.

He took another deep breath and headed out onto the training field. Tenten bowed politely greeting him with a smile.

"Uh…hiya Tenten. You know, if you're not in the mood to train we can wait until tomorrow. The 5th sent Lee and Neji with Ino on some escort mission and so we can't practice with the team today."

"Uh…well…I really wanted to train today Guy-sensei…but if you don't want to then that's okay." Tenten just looked down at the ground sadly making Guy feel bad. _Damn. Why does she have to look so sad?_

"Uh…well we can train. I'm not doing anything today," he replied forcing a smile.

"Hai!" she exclaimed happily. Guy took a few steps back, positioning himself at a safe distance before he nodded, signaling her to begin. _This is going to be one long practice…_

_----------------------------------- _

Sasuke watched as Hinata entered the dojo looking scared to death. _How cute…_He had been hiding in the rafters in order to surprise her with an attack but at the moment he was pleasantly distracted and decided to stay put. He couldn't help but to notice her breasts peeking out from the pink tank that she was wearing. Then his eyes wondered to the tight, navy biker shorts that she was wearing. _Damn her for wearing those little shorts…_He watched as Hinata tossed her bag aside and began her usual warm up exercises. She bent over then gracefully rose into a handstand, spreading her legs in the process. _Not this again…_Sasuke wanted to close his eyes and dismiss the image of Hinata but he once again found himself thinking such naughty things.

"Sasuke-kun? Why are you up in the rafters? I thought we were supposed to practice together," Hinata asked softly.

"Huh?"_Damn. She saw me…this whole time she knew that I was up here…smart girl._

"Are we still practicing together?"

"Uh…well I was just…going to surprise you with an attack. I was uh…waiting for the right time to strike," he lied. _Actually I was thinking that we could skip practice and I teach you a few other useful things that you could do with your hands…_

"Are you coming down or should I come up there?" she asked landing on her feet.

"Uh…"_You can cum anywhere you want sweetheart, preferably on me…_

"Sasuke?"

"Oh…um…I'll be down in just a sec." _Damn. I'm hard right now and it's all her fault!_ _Alright Sasuke. Get a grip._ He jumped down from the rafters landing inches in front of her causing her to jump. "Sorry Hinata-chan. I didn't mean to scare you."

"No…it's…alright. So um…what are we doing today?"

"Well…um…"_I'd love to do you but I suppose that's out of the question._ "I had planned on us doing some weapon work today. I wanted to see how your Byakugan matched up against my shurrigans but I guess since we're in here we're going to have to do some taijutsu today."

"Oh ok."

"Unless," he added stepping closer to her small frame of a body, "there's something else you'd like to do." He was now so close that he could feel her warm breath on his neck.

"I…well we can do whatever you want Sasuke-kun."

"Uh…whatever I want?" _Why did she have to say that?_

"Hai!" she giggled.

"Um…"_That giggle…that cute little giggle…_The bulge in Sasuke's pants got bigger and bigger forcing him to quickly turn away from her.

"Sasuke? Is there something wrong?"

"Uh…no…nothing's wrong," he said quickly. _Oh fuck…What to do? If I try to train with her, I'll end up doing something I'll regret. Why is she so hot to me all of a sudden?_ _I never wanted her before…_A pair of hands touched his shoulders forcing him to close his eyes.

"Oh Sasuke-kun! You are so hot!" Sasuke quickly turned around and without thinking kissed her hungrily on the lips. Sasuke pulled away suddenly when he heard a roar of laughter. _What's so funny?_

"Sasuke, I always knew you were easy but damn man." His jaw dropped when he saw Naruto standing before him, his sexy jutsu just wearing off.

"Naruto…that was…you?" he asked softly.

"Yep!" he grinned.

"I AM GOING TO KILL YOU! SON-OF-A-BITCH!" Sasuke ran at Naruto who was already half way out of the dojo leaving Hinata behind.

"Oh well…I guess I'll wait for him to return," she grinned. Hinata laid down on her back staring up at the ceiling. _Sasuke's been acting really weird. I wonder why?_

"Hinata?" She looked up to see Kakashi standing over her, smiling down at her.

"Aye…sensei! I'm…I'm sorry. I know I should be practicing but…"

"Hinata, it's ok. I just stopped by to see how things were going but I ran into Sasuke a while ago. I'm afraid he won't be coming back today. He's a bit embarrassed by what just happened here," he grinned.

"Oh, well…I suppose I would be embarrassed too. So I guess I can't train today huh?" she asked sadly. Kakashi stared down at her for a moment and let out a sigh. _Well I suppose everything will be alright. I don't reckon I can get into too much trouble._

"No, I think we should train today. You and me. One on one. Some combat training," he grinned.

"Oh yay! Hai where do want me?"

"Hmmm…well why don't you attack me?"

"Now?" she asked.

"Of course. See if you can land a hit with your gentle fist style." He took out a book and started to read.

"Uh…you're going to read while we fight?"

"Yep."

"But aren't you…"

"I'll be alright. Even if you hurt me, Tsunade-sama can fix me up…just um…don't hit me in the heart. I'd hate to…well you know…"

"Hai! But um…are you sure…?"

"Ready when you are princess?" She took a few steps back and began focusing her chakra. With her Byakugan eyes blazing she ran at Kakashi and tried to hit him in the torso but he easily dodged all the while turning a page in his book. She ran at him again doing a combination of punches but he dodged them without even thinking.

"Oh man…how are you doing that?" she huffed. _I have got to get at least one hit off of him but how?_

"Oh I'm just good I guess," he replied, turning another page in his book. Hinata ran at him again but this time she kicked him in the stomach.

"Yes! Got ya…huh?" He grabbed her foot and held on to it.

"No princess…I got you." He pushed her back onto the floor and placed a foot on top of her chest. "You need to work on your fighting tactics. You're coming at me like Naruto which is never a good thing," he said thoughtfully. She looked up at him and smiled before hitting him with four quick blows to the leg.

"Huh?" He tried to take a step backwards but ended up losing his balance and falling backwards. Before he could hit the ground Hinata grabbed his jacket pulling him down on top of her.

"Uh…thank you Hinata. That was very…creative of you. Normally you wouldn't have gotten me so easily but I assumed that you were going to continue with your Naruto-like assault," he grinned.

"Thank you sensei!" she exclaimed. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"Uh…you're welcome," he muttered. It took him a second to realize how close his lips were to Hinata's. When she stuck out her tongue and licked her lips Kakashi's eyes couldn't help but to stare. _Oh my…those lips…_She wriggled underneath him a little but her arms remained wrapped around him, probably because she was comfortable and had forgotten all about her arms being wrapped around him. Kakashi could feel the bulge in his pants stirring and it was pissing him off. _I cannot let this little girl arouse me…_Kakashi started to wriggle a little and Hinata drew back her arms.

"Sensei are you alright?"

"Uh…yeah. My back…it itches," he lied._ Actually something in my pants is itching to get out but it's not going to happen…_She put her arms around him again and this time she started caressing his back.

"Does that feel better sensei?" she asked softly.

"Uh…" She ran her hands down his sides and then up under his vest, feeling the bare skin underneath. Her soft fingers began driving him crazy as the bulge in his pants got bigger and more persistent. "Hinata…"

"Did I get the itch or do I need to scratch lower?" Her tiny fingers worked their way down his lower back feeling around for the itch.

"Uh…no…you got it. I'm…I'm fine," he managed. He lowered his head and smiled down at her. She was glowing from ear to ear and something inside him made him want to kiss her. She stared up at him with those beautiful Hyuuga orbs and he found himself brushing his lips against hers.

"Ahem." Hinata and Kakashi both jumped at the sound of the voice. Kakashi rolled off of Hinata and frowned.

"Guy…what in the world?" Kakashi asked.

"Guess I could say the same about you," he grumbled folding his arms across his chest. Kakashi shot him a look before turning to Hinata.

"Well, I think that will do it for now. Maybe Sasuke will be willing to train with you again later today. I need to talk with Guy."

"That's fine sensei." She stood to her feet flashing him a quick smile before running off. Kakashi let out a huge breath before lying back onto the floor.

"Guy…you have amazing timing. So amazing that it's actually frightening."

"Yeah well you seemed to be in an interesting position. Wanna tell me what happened?"

"Uh…there's really nothing to tell except maybe I should learn to quit underestimating my students."

"You ain't the only one," he muttered.

"Tenten?" Kakashi asked raising an eyebrow at his friend.

"You have no idea."

* * *

**AN:** _Sorry about the long delay but I promised myself that school work would come first this semester. Hope it was an enjoyable chapter. It will get pretty serious soon just like my other Hinata story but for now it seems a bit humorous. I don't plan on writing another 35 chapter epic but if that's the way this one turns out to be then I hope you stick around for the long haul. I have quite a few plans for this story. Don't know when the next update would be but if you haven't read "Metamorphosis: A Hyuga Tale" then you should. It will keep you occupied until I can update again. Oh and good news. I am working on another story. It's a Harry Potter/Naruto crossover and I have quite the pairings in mind so I hope you'll look out for that one too. Uh...I think that's all. Review. Flame. Whatever you want. I'm out. _


	9. Stick Ups and a Toad Sage's Advice

"So what exactly happened between you and Tenten?" Kakashi asked lying back onto the floor. It would be a while before he could move his left leg again, at least another hour so he had plenty of time to hear a good story.

"Oh Kakashi, I should be ashamed of myself, but I just…I don't know what came over me. I didn't…do anything per se but I did enough to encourage her and well…" He sat down on the floor next to his buddy and stared at a blank spot on the wall.

"It's ok Guy. You can tell me. You know I'd never judge you. Besides if I was the judgmental type, would I have stayed your best friend all these years and let you follow me around while you would wear that goofy looking jumper?" he asked with a grin.

"I suppose you're right. Oh well…here's the story…"

---------------------------------

"Aye, Guy sensei you look great today," Tenten replied. She flashed him a warm smile as she took her stance waiting on him to make the first move.

"Uh…thank you Tenten," he said nervously. He responded with a warm smile of his own but couldn't help but to notice how fitting her tank was. Normally she would wear clothes that were overly large on her, as if to hide her chest but not today. Today she bearing it all. The white tank was tight and fitting. He could easily see hints of her arousal through her shirt. She was not wearing a bra and he was sure she did that on purpose. He closed his eyes and muttered a curse under his breath. _One hour…one hour and I'll be free to go…_

"Uh…sensei?"

"Yes Tenten?"

"I have a proposition for you."

"Eh?"_Proposition? I wonder… _"Um…okay. What's up?"

"Well, since you haven't practiced with me one on one in a while then you have absolutely no idea how much I've improved. That being said, I think we should cut a deal," she deduced.

"Okay. Let's hear it."

"Well, if I beat you then you owe me one kiss."

"Huh? WHAT?!?!"

"Yes, a kiss. What wrong with that? You've already pretty much told me that you want nothing to do with me and I respect that. However, I still need encouragement to keep training and I want a kiss from you as that encouragement. Otherwise, I just may quit being a shinobi," she replied sadly. Guy just stared at her curiously for a second watching her for any signs of…well anything. Next thing he knew, she looked up at him and tears were streaming down her face. _Gahh what's with the crying? Why is she crying? Do all women cry like this? Oh damn…_

"Alright, alright," he replied, throwing his hands up. "You don't have to cry about it."

"You promise?"

"Of course. That's my way of the ninja. I always keep my promises." He flashed her the nice Guy pose before removing his saori. Tenten's eyes went wide with surprise as she stared at his lean body. Guy tried not to notice her stares but he couldn't help but turn red un the face.

"Uh…alright. Let's get started.

"Oh and just so you know sensei, I have what Lee would call an 'ace in the hole'"

"Uh…really now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep and I predict that seconds from now you're going to be on your back," she grinned. She took out a scroll and summoned a weapon; her weapon of choice being the zambotoh, a really big stick. Guy just grinned from ear to ear. _Kakashi and I use to fight each other with sticks all the time. She'll never beat me like that._

"Well…why don't you bring it sweetheart?"

"Here I come." Tenten ran at Guy with her zambotoh swinging hard left and right, btu he easily kept dodging them. Tenten kept on and on, flipping over his head trying to get him from behind but she kept missing.

"Sorry sweetheart but you're never going to hit me with that thing," he said laughing.

"I'm not trying to hit you with it. I was waiting for my opening and no I have it." She drew back and hit him hard in the chest with her fist sending him flailing across the practice field. Guy landed a few feet away from one of the many cherry blossom trees and just laid there moaning in pain. _What the hell? When did she learn to hit like that?_

"Oh sensei! I am…so sorry…" She sat down next to him and leaned over examining his chest. There was a slight chakra burn at the place of impact and covered her mouth out of shock.

"So this was your ace in the hole huh?" he chuckled.

"Uh…yeah but…I didn't know…I'm really sorry," she winced. "I just…"

"Sakura taught you that huh?"

"Hai sensie sir. She…I told her that I needed a way to get close to you. I told her that the only way you'd listen is if I beat you at something."

"I see. Well, I'll give you this, you know me very well. It really is hard to get me to listen unless you beat me, but don't get used to it. Now that I know about your training with Sakura, I'll always be on my guard."

"Yes sir." She looked away from him staring up at the sky. Her hand wandered over his chest in an attempt to ease the pain. The awkward silence was enough to kill an army of thousands and when Guy finally couldn't take it anymore he placed a hand on top of hers.

"Tenten?"

"Yes?"

"I believe…I owe you something." He placed a hand behind her head, pulling her towards him. He smiled before he covered her lips kissing her softly. The kiss was only supposed to last a few seconds but Tenten deepened the kiss, letting her tongue explore his mouth. Not to be outdone, he did the same, forcing his tongue into her mouth making her head spin. She ran her hands down his chest playfully causing him to moan with pleasure. When he finally tore his lips away from hers, she started trailing soft kisses down his chest. He closed his eyes but opened them just as quickly when he felt her hands journey between his legs.

"Tenten wait…you can't…" She ran a hand back up his torso before reaching her hand inside his pants. "NO! Tenten…" He quickly sat up off the ground and placed a hand on top of hers.

"Sensei I…"

"Tenten, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…I promised you a kiss and so I gave you what you wanted. As for…I should have stopped you sooner…"

"But you were enjoying it."

"No I…"

"Don't tell me those things stick up all the time!" Guy looked down as his pants and his face flushed red out of embarrassment. _Oh damn…_

"I'm…sorry. I should go," he muttered.

"Or you can lay there and let me finish what I started." Guy stared at her for a second, watching as she ran a hand up his side and across his chest. She leaned over and for some reason he stayed put as she brought her lips to his. He had no intention of responding but he did, kissing her forcefully and exploring her mouth again. She reached inside his pants again but a big loud crash made the two of them jump. There was a puff of smoke surrounding the area and when it finally cleared Tenten let out a scream.

"AHHHH A GIANT TOAD! GROSS!" She stood up and took off leaving Guy sensei behind.

"My my, I didn't mean to interrupt," Jiraiya said grinning. He slid off the back of his toad and approached Guy.

"Yeah well I'm glad you did. I have dishonored myself and I should go and perform a seppuku."

"Don't say such things!" Jiraiya hissed. "She's grown. You're grown. In my book you're both just consensual adults doing what you want to do. Live a little man."

"Yeah but she's my student and I can't do that. There are laws against that."

"Yeah but Tsunade will understand. You want her. She wants you. I say go for it."

"This coming from a Guy who makes his living peeking at naked women and writing dirty books," Guy huffed.

"Yeah well I'm enjoying life to the fullest. Life's too short to worry about shinobi stuff all the time. Say, when was the last time you've gotten laid?"

"Uh…"

"My point exactly. I'm not saying you should have sex with the girl just to get laid, but it's obvious that you kinda like her. If you like her then I say, why not?"

"Never gonna happen. Now I have to go find Kakashi. He owes me a good long fight."

--------------------------

"That's what the Toad Sage said to you?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah."

"That Jiraiya…he _would_ tell you something like that. But you know…he could be on to something."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you and I have been friends for a long time and we tell each other just about everything. Now that I think about it, I haven't heard you talk about getting any in a long time."

"That's because all I do is work and train. I haven't the time for women and you know that."

"Yeah well I say you need to make time. He's right Guy. Who's to say that you and I will actually survive the next mission? We're shinobi and our time here on earth is precious. Every time we set foot out of the village to take on a mission you know there's always that chance that we may not return."

"Yeah…I know but that doesn't justify my wanting to have my way with Tenten!"

"So you do want her?"

"Yes…no…I don't know!" Guy took out a flask and started to drink from it.

"What you drinking?"

"Sake. Strong sake." Kakashi stood to his feet then helped his friend up.

"Let's get out of here. I need to go check on my team and you need to get yourself together. I know she's your student but if she's been hanging around Sakura and Tsunade then you know she's not going to let up that easily."

"Yeah well I don't know if I should take your advice too seriously," Guy retorted.

"What do you mean?"

"Hinata."

"Uh…that. You see, you got it all…"

"You're curious about her too. I saw the way you almost kissed her."

"But she…started it and I…you know I wouldn't sleep with a student…" Guy glared at him for several seconds until Kakashi threw his hands up in defeat. "Alright. You got me. We're both bad people. Let's go get drunk."

"Here here," he grinned.

* * *

**AN:** _Hope you enjoyed the chapter. If you didn't then quit reading sheesh. LOL Anyway, I am working on several stories and will be posting other pretty soon. My mind just can't seem to stay focused. I'll probably have chapter 1 of my Harry Potter/Naruto crossover posted later today. Who knows? Let's see...The story will get serious at some point. I just...haven't been in a real serious mood lately. Gahh go figure. Anyway, review. Flame. Whatever. Love ya lots people _


	10. Playful Encounter and Sakura's Heart

Sasuke had been hunting down Naruto all afternoon but every time he thought he'd caught him, it turned out to be another one of those annoying Shadow Clones. _Damn him._ After finally claiming defeat, Sasuke decided to go back to the training field and throw some kunai. When he arrived at the field, he was surprised to see Hinata lying in the grass under one of the cherry blossom trees. She was stretched out; her head propped on a pillow watching the clouds. She was still wearing those skimpy biker shorts and a tight fitting tank that annoyed Sasuke to no end. _If she wouldn't wear such skimpy things then I wouldn't be tempted to do such bad things! _

Sasuke stood there and watched her for several seconds before a wry smile crossed his face. _I think I'll have some fun._ He silently walked up the cherry blossom tree from behind and walked back down the other side until he was standing under a branch over Hinata's head. She had not heard him nor had she noticed him watching over her.

"Hinata," he whispered. She quickly sat up and started frantically looking around.

"Who's…who's there?" she asked.

"It's me…Sasuke. Look up over here." She turned to see Sasuke hanging upside down and she giggled.

"Oh…you frightened me."

"Sorry but you were lying there so peacefully that I just couldn't help myself. Why don't you come back over here and lie back down." She nodded her head and positioned herself back up under the tree. Sasuke watched as she stretched her creamy legs back out and lied back down._Oh man…how I'd love to run my tongue up those legs…_Hinata had kicked off her shoes and her feet were bare.

"Oh, Hinata lift your legs up. I want to um…try something." She did as she was told, lifting her legs straight into the air until her feet were square with Sasuke's nose. He reached out and grabbed her feet causing her to giggle.

"Sasuke-kun…that tickles."

"I like it when you grin," Sasuke whispered. He actually _DID_ like it when she grinned. In fact, now that he thought about it, it always made him smile to see her pearly whites and her rosy cheeks.

"You…you do?" she asked wondrously. She stared up at him curiously before a small grin crossed her face, causing him to curse underneath his breath.

"I…" She wiggled her toes in his face and laughed. "Wiggling those pretty little toes will get you into trouble princess," he smirked.

"Trouble? You're…you're not going to hurt me are you Sasuke-kun?" she asked. She was no longer grinning and she had a look of concern on her face. Sasuke couldn't help but to smile. She looked so beautiful and those soulful Hyuuga orbs were doing a number on his heart, which wouldn't stop beating furiously. He brushed his lips against the top of her feet before brining his lips to her toes, licking them lightly, causing her to giggle like mad again.

"You're quite the giggle box aren't you?" he asked, running his hands past her feet and up her legs. He lowered his mouth again, running his tongue up her legs.

"HEY SASUKE!" Sasuke lost his concentration and fell to the ground, landing on top of Hinata who looked about as shocked as he was,

"Naruto…you idiot!" Sasuke grabbed a kunai out of his pocket and threw it at him only to watch it burst for it was just another damn clone. "That Naruto!" Sasuke grumbled. Hinata tried to suppress another giggle as it turned into a small hic cup. Sasuke frowned at her but only for a second when he realized where he was so conveniently positioned. He had fallen from the tree and had landed gracefully in between her legs. Of course, the biker shorts she was wearing was keeping his erection in check so nothing was going to happen…maybe.

"Hinata, are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine Sasuke-kun. You make me laugh."

"I can do more than make you laugh…if you let me," he said softly, lowering his head to nip at her neck.

"I…"

"What do say princess?" he whispered, gently nipping at her ear. His hands wove a path down her sides and in between her legs. He caressed her thighs as he brought his lips to hers kissing her softly. Her mouth parted and he let his tongue enter, exploring her mouth making her head spin. She threw her arms around his back as he deepened the kiss.

"Sa…Sa…Sasuke?" Sasuke's eyes went wide and his skin turned pale with dread. _Oh no…please don't be…_Hinata pushed him away and sat up, looking just as frightened. They both turned to see Sakura staring at them, eyes twisted up in confusion. There were tears streaming down her face and she kept opening her mouth as though she were about to speak but no words would come out.

"Sakura…" Sasuke started but she only shook her head before running off choking back sobs.

"Sa…Sasuke…go after her," Hinata whispered. He looked at her and saw that she too was crying. _What to do? What to do?_

"SASUKE! YOU BASTARD! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO SAKURA!" Naruto was running towards him and he looked pissed. "COME ON! WHAT THE HECK DID YOU DO TO HER?!?!" he yelled.

"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO HER!" Sasuke yelled. "And besides, I owe you an ass whooping from this morning," he added his sharingan eyes flaring. Naruto folded his arms across his chest and smirked.

"Well I'm sorry that I pissed you off but is it really my fault that you're so easily aroused?" Sasuke lunged at him only to find that the real Naruto was hanging upside down under the same branch he'd been hanging on earlier.

"DAMMIT NARUTO!"

"Hey, don't get mad at me. Why don't you go after Sakura now or else you're going to be sorry later. Oh and you might wanna keep your distance. Her left hook hurts like a motherfucker!" Sasuke glared at Naruto for several seconds before letting out a sigh. Naruto was right and he did need to go and check on Sakura but the truth is he wasn't so sure that he wanted to make up with her. After all, they haven't done anything intimate besides kiss a few times and to be perfectly honest he had always liked the single life better anyway. Not that he wanted Hinata. He was only having some fun with her a while ago. He nodded at his team mate before taking off after Sakura.

------------------------------

Sasuke found Sakura standing at the bridge near the hot spring. She was standing with Kakashi and it seemed as though he were trying to get her to talk. Sasuke sighed before approaching the two of them.

"Sakura…can we go somewhere and talk?" Sasuke asked. Sakura only continued to stare at the ground as if she had not heard him speaking. "Come on Sakura. Stop acting like this. We need to have a talk."

"What for? I saw you with her. Apparently I can't compete so go have at it," she muttered.

"Um…did I…miss something?" Kakashi asked. He stared from one pupil to the other before shrugging his shoulders. "I think I'm going to…uh…look for Hinata. You two talk." Kakashi disappeared leaving them both behind to talk. Sasuke walked over to Sakura and leaned over the side of the bridge. There was a brief moment of silence before Sakura broke the silence.

"Why did you come after me? I've always known that you never liked me so why come?"

"I…Sakura that's not true. I've always liked you and you know this. It's just…I've never wanted to come out and admit my feelings because…I don't know…I guess I'm just used to you girls fawning over me."

"What an arrogant thing to say Sasuke! In case you didn't know, I haven't been fawning over you just to be a part of your fan club. I fawn over you because…well you know why!" she cried staring at him. Sasuke just stared at her at a loss for words. _No…she can't really feel that way about me…_ "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"BECAUSE I DON'T WHAT TO SAY!" he yelled.

"TELL ME SOMETHING….ANYTHING! DO YOU EVEN CARE THAT I LOVE YOU ANYMORE SASUKE!" He opened his mouth to respond but he closed it just as quickly. "Yeah, I guess not. Well," she said with a haughty laugh, "I guess this is it for us. Good-bye Sasuke." She bowed politely before turning to leave. Sasuke watched her walk off before something in him made his body start moving forward. He picked up the pace, running after her as if his life depended on it.

"Wait! Sakura…" She turned around and found herself wrapped in Sasuke's arms.

"What are you…?" He covered her mouth with own before she could finish her statement. He kissed her deeply, passionately, while running his fingers through her silky pink locks. Seconds later they pulled apart both out of breath from the kiss.

"Sasuke, what was that for?"

"I…don't know. Something just…Look Sakura, I never said that I didn't care for you nor did I say that I wanted to push you away. What happened with Hinata today…I just don't know. She comes to practice wearing so little and I just…I was only playing with her to…I just…" Sakura cupped his face and pulled him into a slow, lingering kiss.

"I forgive you Sasuke," she whispered. "Now, I'm going home but it would be in your best interest to come by later to talk. We'll have a little snack and maybe hang out at the hot spring. Is that alright?"

"I'll be there," he smirked. She flashed him a warm smile as she headed towards her home. Sasuke watched her leave and was hit with a wave of guilt. _What have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

**AN:** _Hope you enjoyed the chapter. This update took a lot longer since I have been writing my Naruto/Harry Potter crossover. Yes, this is a cheap plug so yes, I want you to go and read it. xD Don't forget to review...LOL Let's see...you're probably wondering about Sasuke. Well, you'll just have to wait and see. This is starting to get a little serious and so the pink haired prima donna will be key in this. There will def be more Guy/Tenten as well as Kak/Hin.  
_


	11. Dateless Syndrom and Restless Spirits

Kakashi found Hinata sitting under a tree at the training field. She looked as though she'd been crying and he had a pretty good idea that it was because of Sasuke. He landed softly next to her but she did not move, flinch or anything. He was hoping to scare her a bit but it seemed that she was still unaware of his presence.

"Hinata?"

"Oh…hey sensei. I saw you with my Byakugan. I was scanning the area…kinda hoping that…but never mind. I am so confused right now," she said sadly. Kakashi sighed before sitting on the ground next to her.

"Why are you confused princess?"

"Well…not that you care but…"

"Hey, look at me." She turned and faced him slowly eyeing him sadly. "I may be your sensei but teaching you the way of the shinobi is not my only job. If you have a problem you should know that you are always welcome to come to me for help. We can't have major problems on the team. Otherwise it would jeopardize our team work."

"But this…has nothing to do with…it's more of a personal problem."

"I see. Well I didn't say that you _had_ to tell me what it was but I was just making the offer." He smiled at her before staring up at the sky. There was a moment of awkward silence before Hinata spoke up again.

"Sensei?"

"Hmm?"

"Why is it that no one notices me?" Kakashi stared down at the curious young ninja and frowned. _How could people not notice you? I notice you. In fact, I've been paying too much attention to you…_ Of course, he only smiled and shook his head.

"Well, you are quiet and you never do things to make yourself stand out like say, Sakura or Ino."

"But…I don't like having all the attention. It makes me terribly uncomfortable."

"And there's nothing wrong with being that way. In fact, I find that the best women are the silent ones," he said with a grin.

"I…thank you sensei. It's just…I'm glad you notice me because you are probably the only other person besides Neji who notices me. But…I feel like I've made a big mistake all these years keeping to myself."

"Why do you say that?"

"Everyone else has been on dates and has boyfriends but not me. Pretty soon daddy's going to be trying to marry me off and I'm really not ready for that right now. I've never even had a boyfriend so…so when it comes time for me to get engaged, I won't have anymore freedom of choice…to do what I want or date who I want." Hinata lowered her head and began to weep softly. Kakashi put an arm around her and she turned and snuggled up against him.

"It's okay princess. You are thinking too much. I don't think your father is going to marry you off just yet. You still have time to go on a date or two," he grinned.

"Hai…you're probably right. So…why were you looking for me?"

"Oh…well I was going to ask you about Sasuke but that's not important right now…"

"No, it's ok. I'll tell you. Um…well I guess you can say Sasuke and I were getting closer. He um…kissed me and Sakura walked up on us. I think she thinks that Sasuke and I are a couple but honestly we're not. I could never…because of my feelings for Naruto…"

"Don't worry about it. Sasuke has a tendency to overstep certain boundaries. The last time I checked, he and Sakura were not a pair so if you like him then by all means go for it."

"But I don't know how I feel about him. I think he's…cute but I still haven't completely gotten over Naruto. Sensei I am sorry for…"

"Shh," he whispered. "It's okay. I meant what I said. You can talk to me about anything you want alright?"

"Alright." She snuggled even closer to him, laying her head in his lap. He twirled his fingers in her hair and the soft touch from his fingers eventually put her to sleep. He looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was setting. _I need to wake her up. I'd hate for Hiashi to come looking for her. It would not be a good thing for either of us._

"Princess?" he whispered. "It's time to get up." She stirred a little but remained put. "Oh gee…you're not making this easy are you?" he laughed. He was about to stand to his feet when Neji landed softly in front of him. "Great timing."

"Likewise. So she fell asleep. Tough day of training?"

"Actually I think it's more or less boy troubles but it's nothing too dramatic."

"Oh, well that's good then. She's going to receive quite the shock within the next couple of weeks or so."

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked.

"Well uncle was kind enough to inform me that Hinata will be meeting a few potential suitors for her hand in marriage. I, of course, begged uncle to see things my way and let her choose for her own self but he has insisted that I stay out of it. He says it's for her own good since she's highly unlikely to look for a husband on her own."

"But she has plenty of time and I highly doubt that Hiashi will be leaving this world anytime soon."

"All the same it has been decided. I'll take her home now." Neji leaned over and scooped Hinata into his arms. Kakashi noticed that Neji's eyes lingered a lot longer than they should have at her body before he disappeared. When Neji finally left, Kakashi leaned back against the tree and sighed. Every time he thought that he was making a little progress with Hinata, things always seemed to get worse. He didn't have long to dwell on his thoughts for he heard voices coming his way.

"Naruto listen to me. I know that you want to go on a mission but it's just too dangerous."

"But the Akatsuki hasn't made a move in almost a year. I'm tired of doing D-Rank missions. I'm Chunin now. At least give me a good C-Rank," he whined.

"No. You are not allowed outside the village without an escort…"

"So let Sasuke…"

"You know why Sasuke can't go with you. Both of you together would be the Akatsuki's dream come true. Itachi could finish off Sasuke and grab _you_ all in one go. We can't have that."

"You can't protect me forever pervy sage! I'm an adult now…"

"And you're still only a Chunin. We have Sasuke back and Sakura's safe. Why can't you be satisfied?"

"I am…I just…what's the point of being a shinobi if I'm always cooped up in this damn village? I can't even go and visit Gaara. I'm tired of being cooped up in this village and I am tried of living my life in fear of the Akatsuki! I want to go after them and finish them off!"

"NO!"

"YES! I'M GOING TO ASK GRANDMA TSUNADE AND YOU CAN'T STOP ME!"

"Naruto, wait a second. Will you…?"

"Either let me go out of the village or I'm going after the Akatsuki myself. I'll do like Sasuke and leave the village and…"

"And I will tie you to the hospital bed and surround you with ANBU Black Ops. Don't test me on this Naruto," Jiraiya said softly. Naruto cursed loudly before taking off into the night. "Kakashi, I know you're back there."

"Yeah well I thought it best that I stay out of it. He is after all, your pupil."

"Yeah well the Kyuubi is starting to get restless and I don't know what to do about it. The fact that Naruto is itching for a fight can only be because the Kyuubi is growing restless. As you know, the seal has already weakened dramatically so of course Naruto and the Kyuubi are going to feel as one."

"I see. So the fact that he hasn't been in any decent fights…"

"The chakra has too long been suppressed. I could fight him one on one and make him use some of that chakra but because Naruto angers so easily, I'll be risking my life fighting him."

"Yeah well we can't just let that chakra keep building up. Until we find a way to tighten the seal we have to let him out of the village. Otherwise…"

"The slightest change in his emotions can trigger the Kyuubi spirit. About a week ago you told him to train with Hinata."

"Right and I heard from them both that it went well."

"Oh yeah, it went well but…things got a little hot and heavy."

"Really now?"

"Oh yes, and it was a good thing I was um…researching at the time. When Hinata wrapped her arms around Naruto, the chakra started seeping through his body and his eyes turned red. I don't know, but it seemed as if Hinata was unaffected but that chakra is dangerous. You remember how Sakura was poisoned by it?"

"Yeah that is…odd. At any rate we're going to have to do something before the Kyuubi gets out of control."

"Well what do you suggest?"

"I'll take him out on a mission…"

"But Kakashi…"

"He'll be alright. Besides, I need to take the new team out to see how well we'll work together. We haven't been on a mission since the princess has joined the team."

"_Princess?_" Jiraiya asked a wry smirk crossing his face.

"I mean, the girl…Hinata," he said quickly.

"Uh…huh…yeah so is there something you need to tell me?"

"Nope."

"I see. Well then, let me know how the mission goes. When are you planning to take them out?"

"Maybe tomorrow depending on what Lady Hokage has lined up. I'll keep you informed so that you can come after us if we're gone too long."

"Alright. Now go get some sleep. You looked stressed."

"You have no idea."


	12. A Little Comfort

Hinata awoke with a start. She looked around her room and was slightly confused. The last thing she remembered was being alone with Kakashi-sensei. How in the world did she end up in her room? She didn't recall falling asleep but she assumed that what had happened. She smiled to herself thinking about how Kakashi-sensei was always so understanding. She was so glad that her uncle let her switch squads.

"Hinata-chan." Hinata jumped at the sound of the voice. Someone else was in her room and she did not like his voice at all. It sounded more like a growl yet she was too terrified to do anything about it.

"Who…who is there?" she squeaked.

"It's me." It sounded like the voice was coming from the side of her bed. She leaned over to see Naruto lying on his back. From the light of the window she could see that his eyes were a bright red instead of the beautiful piercing blue and she was scared to death.

"Na…Naruto? What's the matter? Why are you…?"

"I…don't know Hinata-chan. I just felt like I should come here."

"But something…is wrong," she squeaked. "Your voice…you're also glowing again. Does that…hurt…the red chakra?"

"Hai…it hurts but it can't be helped. I have to release it otherwise I'm going to lose my mind. This kyuubi gets restless and even though I am still pissed off at ero senin, he's right about my chakra."

"Oh…okay. But um…why'd you choose to come see me? I…don't mind…but I just…you've never…"

"I know. I just…you hardly ever say anything and so most of the time I never know you're around. But I…something occurred to me while I was walking back towards my place a while ago."

"What happened…Naruto?"

"I thought about the day you and I were training alone at the hot spring. I remember feeling all restless and depressed but for some reason that feeling went away at some point when we were together. I don't remember much about our training but I remember that feeling. After my day today, I thought maybe…" His voice trailed off and he looked away. Hinata climbed off her bed and sat down on the floor next to the sad looking Naruto.

"Don't worry about it Naruto. I'm…just glad I could be of some sort of comfort." She rested her head on his chest and he placed his arm around her. They both lay their silently, Hinata listening to the beat of his heart and Naruto at peace for the first time all day. They both fell asleep moments later in the comfort of each others presence.

---------------------------------------------------------

"Oh Sasuke! Just the person I was looking for." Kakashi landed silently next to Sasuke who was sitting on the ground outside the Ichiraku Ramen Bar. He looked like he was upset about something.

"What do you want?" Sasuke grumbled.

"Whoa! Hey…Is that anyway to greet your sensei?"

"Fine. How can I be of some help?" he asked politely. The sarcasm in his voice only made Kakashi sigh.

"Alright Sasuke. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing. Go away."

"Not until you tell me what's bothering you. Besides, I have to brief you on tomorrow's mission, but I refuse to tell you anything unless you cooperate."

"Oh well fine. I guess I want be going."

"Are you trying to avoid Hinata? If that's the case then so be it. Naruto can show you up by outdoing you on the mission and Hinata can feel even more depressed because of your toying with her."

"I wasn't…I never meant…"

"Do you like her?"

"Yeah as a friend," he stressed.

"Well what about Sakura? How did things turn out with her today?"

"Sensei you are one nosy human being," he grumbled.

"I'm only trying to help. Besides, it looks to me like you _do_ have feelings for Hinata but you're just too macho to commit to her. That's why you like Sakura and Ino. Both worship the ground you walk on and technically you can do whatever you want to them without even committing to one or the other."

"That's not true, I haven't been fooling around with either of them. The most I've done with either one of them is kiss…except for tonight. Sakura and I almost…but we didn't. I couldn't do it."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't think…I just don't want to hurt her. Of course, after she threw herself at me and I rejected her, she got all upset. I kissed her earlier today, mostly to calm her down and reassure her that nothing was going on between me and Hinata. I never thought she'd want to…you know."

"Wow. That's um…well what's the status of your relationship now?"

"We're done according to her. So out of rage I told her that I liked Hinata better than her anyway and well…she slapped me so hard that I swear I saw stars. This happened about an hour ago and I am sitting here because it hurt to walk. She also managed to land a punch to my stomach. I don't hit girls, especially ones I care about," he muttered.

"Oh, I see. So you do care about her. You just don't want a girlfriend right now."

"Something like that." _Mainly because I'm not sure how I feel about Hinata._

"Well give her some time. She'll come around and if you care about her, stop beating around the bush and commit already. You don't want to end up like me-old and alone for the rest of your life. Then again, a shinobi's life makes it hard enough already to even have a relationship."

"Yeah…I guess you're right. But I'm good. Tell me about the mission."

"Yeah. Tomorrow will be the start of our first team mission. We're going to be out of the village for a few days. We're going to a village about thirty miles east of the Sand Village. It's the Hidden Wind Village. The people there have been having problems with bandits and they even had one of their own to go missing. We're going to go and get some information about the missing girl. If we have to, we'll take out the bandits but our primary mission is to gather information for a rescue mission. Simple enough right?"

"Yeah. I suppose."

"Good. I'll see you in the morning."

---------------------

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Hinata woke up the next morning to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. She was about to sit up when she remembered the events of the night before. _Naruto._ He had spent the night with her. She sat up and stared down at the handsome young blonde who was sleeping beautifully. She really did not wish to waken him but she knew if Neji or her father found him in her room, despite how innocent it looked they would not be too happy.

"Naruto…Naruto-kun."

"Mmm…that feels good," he mumbled. She was running her hands up and down his chest trying to waken him, but he only stirred slightly.

"You have to get up Naruto," she whispered. He finally opened his eyes and stared up at her.

"Hinata…why are you in my room?" Hinata stifled a giggle.

"You're in _my_ room silly. You…came by here last night."

"Oh…oh yeah. Hinata-chan, I'm sorry for…"

"It's alright. I would have let you slept longer but…I don't want to get you in trouble with my father."

"Oh…right. I keep forgetting that you're royalty," he grinned. He stretched out his arms and yawned as he sat up off the floor. "Thank you Hinata-chan. I haven't had a good night's rest in days but I tell you I slept like a rock last night, even though we were on the floor." He stood to his feet and then helped her up as well.

"You're…anytime…Naruto." He grinned at her before pulling her into a hug.

"You're a great girl Hinata."

"Uh…thank you…Naruto." He pulled away and with one last grin he headed out of her window. Not even a second later, Neji entered her room.

"Hinata…princess, I have a message for you from Kakashi."

"Uh…ok," she said nervously. She stared down at the ground and played with her fingers.

"You have a mission today and you are to meet your squad at the gate in one hour." She lifted her head briefly and nodded her head before turning away. He let out a sigh then headed out of her room.


	13. A Playful Lunch and Lollipops

**WARNING: This chapter may contain some explicit material not suitable for children under 18. Now, it's not porn but it's the fruits of my perverted mind at 3 am. You have been warned. Read at own risk. (It's really not that bad but just to be sure, you've been warned.)**

* * *

Hinata quickly dressed and headed down to the gate. Kakashi was actually on time or rather Hinata was late, and as soon as Hinata arrived, he started going over the mission details. When he was sure that everyone understood what was going on, they set off in pairs through the trees. Kakashi paired himself up with Naruto so that he could keep a close watch on him and he let Sasuke be with Hinata. Part of him was glad that it worked out this way because he was sure that Sasuke had a thing for Hinata. All of the arrangements to put Hinata on the team had been in order to make her happy and to get the boys to notice her rather than Sakura so much. He was also glad that he had Naruto to worry about so that he could focus less time and energy on battling his conflicting feelings for Hinata.

Kakashi had no idea how long they had been traveling but it was soon time to take a break from all the running. Naruto had begun whining about being hungry all morning and quite frankly everyone, with the exception of Hinata, was tired of his complaints. They stopped at a tavern that was located about an hour from the Wind Village. When they entered the tavern, immediately heads turned to stare. Hinata felt so uncomfortable that she hid behind Kakashi.

"Hinata-chan. Don't worry. They may look tough but they are nothing compared to us," Naruto said with a smile. Hinata smiled weakly as she followed the guys to a booth. A waitress immediately brought some water to the table, sake for Kakashi and started taking their orders.

"Kakashi sensei, I don't know about you but the people here are weirding me out. I can feel their eyes watching us. It's as though they want to start something," Sasuke commented. He had been sitting with his eyes closed so that he wouldn't stare at Hinata the whole time but his face was burning and he could feel the tension in the room. Hinata however, looked plum sick in the face and did everything she could to hide her uneasiness but failed miserably.

"Actually Sasuke, I think they are looking at Hinata," Naruto observed. He could also sense what Sasuke was worried about and noticed that they all seemed to be staring right at Hinata. Hinata shifted nervously next to Kakashi making him uncomfortably aware of her.

"Naruto. Sasuke. Why don't you two sit about two booths back so that you can see all around us? If something looks shaky, one of you can signal me and I'll get Hinata out of here immediately." The two boys nodded and as they jumped out of the booth and landed three booths back. Since Kakashi and Hinata were facing the door, they could see Sasuke and Naruto from their seats. Hinata however, still felt extremely uncomfortable and had begun to fidget under the table. Kakashi placed a hand on her lap and squeezed her thigh gently.

"It's going to be alright," he said softly. "As long as I'm here, I won't let them get you." She placed a hand on top of his signaling that she was going to be ok.

A few minutes later the waitress brought them their lunch and they ate in silence, neither one taking their hand off of the other. It wasn't until Kakashi wanted a drink of his sake that he realized that his other hand was still resting on Hinata's thigh. Kakashi shifted his hand slowly in an attempt to sway Hinata to move her hand but she did not. She seemed pretty comfortable the way that she was and had quit shifting in her seat for quite sometime.

Kakashi slid his hand some more up her thigh. This time Hinata moved her hand but not the way he had anticipated. He could feel her tiny fingers making circles on top of his hand. The small gesture was enough to get his arousal going. His hand climbed higher and higher until he could feel the heat between her legs. He ran his index finger up and down between her legs, caressing her sex through her tiny shorts. Hinata rested her head on his arm as soft moans escaped through her lips with each passing stroke of his finger. She ran her fingers up his arm playfully making Kakashi aware of what he was doing. _Oh fuck._ He moved his hand away from her and looked up to see what Naruto and Sasuke were doing. Both looked like they were itching for a fight. Kakashi turned around and noticed that the four guys sitting at the bar area were glaring angrily in his direction. _They must think that Hinata and I are a pair. Well…if it'll keep her safe…_He leaned over and playfully nipped at Hinata's ear.

"Princess?" he whispered.

"Hmm?"

"We have to get out of here now." She sat up and eyed him dreamily before nodding in agreement. Kakashi signaled for Naruto and Sasuke to go out ahead of them in case of an ambush. Kakashi let Hinata out first and led her out the front door. As soon as they exited the tavern, a bunch of shinobi surrounded them, Naruto and Sasuke already at work with two big guys.

"Kakashi…and a Hyuuga. I know those eyes anywhere." One of the shinobi spoke up. Kakashi assumed that they were all bandits of some sort based on how they were dressed. The guy that spoke up was wearing a different color than the rest so he assumed that he was the ring leader.

"Yeah well I'm glad that you know her eyes. How about you get to know mine?" Kakashi lowered his mask revealing his Sharingan eye. By this time, Naruto and Sasuke joined the inner circle.

"I bet you'd like my eyes too," Sasuke huffed. His Sharingan eyes flared as well. Naruto however, had proceeded to get on all fours his eyes turning bright red with the passing seconds.

"What the hell…? Guys, we have to retreat. Kakashi, this is far from over. You'll never find that girl and if you're not careful, we'll have her too." The guy and his bandits threw some smoke bombs before disappearing.

"Awe man. And I was just getting warmed up!" Naruto whined.

"Oh shut it loser. You were about to do something stupid more than likely," Sasuke grumbled.

"Hey you guys. Calm down. It just means we need to keep our guard up. We now know for sure that bandits took the girl so we'll spend the rest of the day talking to villagers. Then we'll report back to Tsunade for the rescue mission but if things go bad then we'll have to take care of business our way." They all nodded in agreement before setting out again. This time they made a line formation with Sasuke leading the way followed by Naruto, Hinata, and then Kakashi. In no time flat they were entering the Land of Wind.

--XX--

Guy sat in Lee's dojo all alone trying to concentrate on his yoga but he simply could not. He was too busy worrying about Tenten and her now more frequent advances. It seemed like everywhere he went she was there. It wasn't like she was making passes at him. It was more or less her flashing that pretty little smile of hers and wearing the tight little pants that made Guy ga-ga for her. Guy stretched out his legs and lay back on the hard wood floor. He loved the smell of the dojo and the sereneness of the room always seemed to calm his nerves. He had just closed his eyes when he felt a pair of hands sliding up his torso. He opened his eyes in time enough to see Tenten straddling him wearing only a skimpy little pleated skirt and a low cut tank. His mouth wide with shock, she leaned over and covered his mouth with her own. _Where did she come from?_

"Mmm…sensei. I have been waiting for days to get you alone but it would seem that you are always surrounded by people."

"Tenten please…we can't…" He sat up but she pushed him back down. "Ouch! So I guess…it's safe to assume that you are still taking strength training from Sakura?"

"Oh yes," she giggled. "And it's working wonders." She started grinding her hips on his sex, moving up, down, and from side to side. With each movement, his arousal grew to no end.

"Tenten no…I can't take you…not like this…" he pleaded.

"Oh…so you'd take me if we were somewhere more private, like your bedroom perhaps?" she teased.

"No…Tenten I am not going to have sex with you." _Sure. That's what I say now but if we were in my bed and you were grinding your hips like this, I'm sure that I would be more than happy to make you scream my name._

"It's not sex. It's called 'making love' and you don't have to make love to me. I'll make love to you."

"Tenten…" She grabbed both his arms and placed his hands on her waist. "I don't know what you're trying to do. I won't…"

She began guiding his hands up and down her sides and to her breasts. When he finally lost his nerve and started caressing them, she guided his hands down her tummy then back under her shirt so she could feel his cool hands on her body. His hands found her breasts again and he lost control, squeezing each one forcing soft, sensual moans from her. Guy's arousal only worsened as she continued grinding her hips against his sex, which was now longing to be free from his sweats.

"Let me help you with that," she teased. She ran her little fingers up and down his chest as he groaned with anticipation. Her fingers teased his waist area as his hips moved up and down, the anticipation growing evermore. Finally, she reached her hands in his pants and started stroking him.

"Tenten please…stop…" he pleaded. His voice was now raspy with hunger but she ignored him, lowering her head to cover him with her mouth. Guy closed his eyes and let Tenten work her magic with her mouth. He had never felt so good in so long. He knew it was wrong but he couldn't stop her now. It was too late and it felt so good. "Oh…Tenten…I'm…"

She grinned up at him as she took him in her mouth one last time, his hips thrusting forward with his final release. Guy just lay there on the floor at a loss for words. Even though he didn't do much, he'd done enough by letting Tenten do what she did…and he was ashamed. He was ashamed of himself for being so weak. To have let a child…not so much a child but a student get him off…it was enough to ruin him forever. His thoughts were broken by her teeth grazing his nipples as her hands caressed his sides.

"Tenten that's…that's enough," he managed. He quickly sat up off the floor and was vaguely aware of his manhood still hanging out.

"You might wanna put that away Guy sensei…unless you're going to use it on me," she teased, sliding her hands up and down his lean arms.

"N…no…Tenten, you're going to get me in so much trouble. This…what I've done…is inexcusable." He fixed his pants then stood to his feet slowly.

"Guy sensei please…don't go," she said softly. "I was only…I wouldn't have to catch you like this if you would only acknowledge the feelings you have for me."

"Tenten I don't have…"

"Yes you do. I know you do but that's alright. I'm not going to give up. I gave up on Neji a long time ago but I always had a feeling he was in love with someone else. You…you are different. I know that I love…"

"NO!" he shouted. "You will not say it! You don't know what you feel and if you keep playing these games with me then you're going to get more than you've bargained for and then we'll both be in deep shit. I mean it Tenten. No more," he growled before storming out of the dojo.

* * *

**AN:**_Well...I know. I am a perve but we all have to be sometimes right? Gah don't get mad because I did warn you of lemons...limes...um yeah. Sorry about the long delay but you'll have to get used to it since I'm writing several stories. The next update? I don't know. Review. I'll update eventually._


	14. Bad News, Curiosity, and Temptation

**AN: I decided to put the author's note at the beginning of the chapter instead of the end. Um…well as you know this fic is rated 'M' and it is rated 'M' for a reason. While I'm not one to write straight porn I will occasionally insert a lemon or two when I deem it necessary. So, if you can't handle lemons then from here on out I suggest you quit reading. Another thing, I have discovered a newfound appreciation for the word 'slash'. Therefore, do not get mad when you see hints of slash here and there. If you can't handle slash then I suggest you quit reading now because it's only going to get worse. Blame the anime. They shouldn't insinuate things. Let's see, it is currently 5:30 am and I have been up all night doing damn Shakespeare homework. I have also been up all night because I can't sleep on the sofa. Lame I know but that's just how it goes. I blame certain things that ended up in this chapter on my lack of sleep and caffeine. The next update…hell if I know but I'll really appreciate the reviews while I'm away. Now read on my fellow shinobis! Oh, btw, I think every Naru/Gaara/Sasuke/Itachi lover and lovers of slash should read ****"Confessions of a Dying Heart"****. Why? Because EroSenin'sDeciples rock! That is all.**

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They reached the gate leading to the land of wind and were immediately greeted by two jonin of the village. Both were wearing black jumpsuits and purple vests over them. One had long, raven colored hair and the other had short, spiky blonde hair. Both had very sharp azure colored eyes, much like Naruto.

"You must be the group from Konoha?" one of the guards asked.

"Yes. My name is Kakashi Hatake and this is my squad. We're here about the girl."

"Oh…oh yeah," one of the guards replied. "Well um…my name is Kuru and my partner here is Idame. We are to show you around and fill you in on the recent developments of the case." The group nodded and followed the two guards inside the village gate. Sasuke immediately noticed how small the village was. There were very few houses in the area and they had been built very close together. There were some shops; most of them food stands or armories. _Armories?_ Sasuke frowned. It seemed pretty odd that a village that size would have armories.

"If you don't mind me asking, I can't help but to notice how very little you all have here in the village. Tsunade-sama told us that your village was fairly small but why would you all need to have so many armories if you don't really have what we would call a ninja army?" Sasuke asked. He couldn't help it. His curiosity got the best of him and though Kakashi chose to remain silent, he was pretty sure he had been wondering the same thing. Idame, the long, raven haired jonin let out a sigh.

"I had a feeling you'd ask that. You see, a long time ago our village's chief export was weaponry and armor. Our prime was during the first Great War. We built many weapons and sold them to many nations; among them was the Hidden Mist Village."

"Hey! Isn't that Zabuza's old village?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, it was," Kakashi answered. "So what happened after the war?"

"Well after the great war, there wasn't much of a need for weaponry so our business sort of dwindled. Of course we specialized in other areas but nothing compared to our weaponry. Well, when the war ended most of our buyers quit buying simply because they could not afford our weapons anymore. The Hidden Mist Village was one of the villages that suffered the most during the war so when the war ended we lost almost a third of our profits," Kuru answered.

"Yeah I get that part but that doesn't explain why you have armories all over the village now," Sasuke pushed.

"Well…it's not so simple anymore," Kuru replied. They stopped in front of a small inn and headed inside. Kuru and Idame led Kakashi's team up a flight of stairs and into a small room on the right. Inside, they sat on the floor in a semi circle so that the jonin could finish their tale.

"Well?" Sasuke insisted.

"You see, we had to open up the armories again because of the bandits. Apparently the bandits heard about our old specialty and they came here about a month ago demanding that we start making weapons for them. Of course since they were paying we were all too happy to help them but before we do, we have but one major requirement."

"And what's that?" Hinata asked softly.

"We ask our buyers the purpose for the weaponry. You see, after the Great War, so many lives were lost and we lost quite a few villagers ourselves. There was so much violence then grief that we vowed to never be the cause of such things ever again. So we decided to only make and sell weapons to people who would be using the weapons to do good. In other words, we did not want to be responsible for unnecessary blood shed," Kuru replied.

"Oh, I see," Naruto replied. "What did the bandits want the weapons for?"

"They would not say. Normally, if a weapon buyer meant well he would be more than happy to explain why he needed such dangerous objects but in the case of the bandits, we were pretty sure that they were up to no good so we refused," Idame added.

"That's where we made our mistake," Kuru said softly. "During the night, the bandits ran through the town setting off small fires and in the midst of all the commotion, one of the girls was taken hostage. That girl…being my very own daughter," Kuru choked.

"Oh…oh gosh I'm sorry to hear that," Hinata whispered.

"No, it's…it's alright. I just…"

"To make a long story short, we ended up making weapons for them anyway. They said as long as we continued to make weapons and armor the girl would be safe but I tell you I don't trust them one bit!" Idame growled.

"You can never really trust a bandit anyway," Sasuke smirked.

"Yeah well this is different. I could have sworn I heard them mention Orochimaru's name the other day. I don't know this Orochimaru person personally, but I heard that he gave your Leaf Village quite the run through a few years back," Idame replied.

"Orochimaru? Are you certain?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes, I'm certain."

"This is…pretty bad," he replied grimly.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, it might not be as bad for you as it is for me. Damn. If these bandits are working for Orochimaru then nothing good will come of this. Now I have to assume that Orochimaru is planning another attack on the Leaf Village but when and where is the issue."

"But…"

"And then there's also the new possibility that the girl is in the hands of that creep as we speak and if that's the case then we are in for one hell of a fight to get her back." Kakashi let out a sigh before dropping his head in the palm of his hands to think. _Of all the people it had to be Orochimaru. There's no way in hell I'll be able to beat him…not in a one on one fight. Plus he'll probably have that arrogant medical ninja Kabuto with him who also happens to be an even bigger pain in the ass. I could let Naruto take him on while I fight Orochimaru but then I risk losing Sasuke or Hinata, possibly both._

"Ka…Kakashi sensei, are you alright?" Hinata whispered. She had leaned over and was now resting her head on his shoulder.

"Uh…yeah. I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"There's a bright side to all of this," Naruto said grinning.

"Oh? And what might that be loser?" Sasuke asked.

"At least it's not the Akatsuki." At this Kakashi dropped his head again and groaned. _The Akatsuki. Yes. How could I forget? Orochimaru is one pain in the ass but Itachi could ruin your whole fucking week. Damn it all. Maybe I should go back to the village and let a team of jonin handle this one. Just what I needed. If I let Naruto get taken by the Akatsuki, not only will Tsunade kill me but the village will probably be destroyed in the process. What the hell was I thinking letting Naruto out of the village?!_

"Don't you worry Kuru. We'll get your daughter back in no time. We're not afraid of any fucking bandits and I owe Orochimaru another ass whooping anyway," Naruto said earnestly. Kakashi's head jerked up and he couldn't help but to smile. _Oh Naruto. You have no idea how much danger you could be in right now but for now, I'll let it be. Maybe luck will be on our side this time and if not, well…we've got one hell of a fight ahead of us. _

"So Idame, Kuru, what time do the bandits normally come through? I highly doubt they'll make an appearance tonight being as we've already had an encounter with them earlier today. Even so, we want to be prepared," Kakashi inquired.

"Usually around midnight," Kuru replied.

"Alright then. Well we're going to go outside and set up for the night. We need to get a good look around the village so that we can prepare for anything. Naruto. Sasuke. You guys come with me but Hinata, I want you to stay in here."

"Huh? But…but why? I could help you know. I…I have the…eyes for this," she stammered. Kakashi stared at the girl who was now pleading with him. It would seem that she did not wish to be left alone. Kakashi let out a sigh. He really did not need for Hinata to be taken away but he also had to admit that her Byakugan would speed things up a whole lot.

"Oh alright but don't stray too far from Sasuke or Naruto. You three will explore together and I'll explore alone. We'll probably sleep outside tonight though I'll probably let you sleep inside."

"But…"

"No buts princess. Your father would kill me if he knew I let you sleep out doors when an inn was nearby." Hinata sighed and nodded her head. "Alright then. We'll meet back up within the hour outside this inn. Dismissed."

--

--

"Lord Orochimaru, Jakume has just informed me that he and some of his fellow bandits had a run in with Kakashi earlier today. Sasuke and the Jinchuriki were with him as well as the Hyuuga girl."

"Hmmm…interesting Kabuto. It would seem that Kakashi took this mission not realizing the seriousness of it. Of course, you know I have no use for the girl. I just wanted to lure the nine-tailed one out of the village. Hopefully Itachi and his fellow Akatsuki members are paying attention. I'd hate for all my trouble to have been for nothing."

"Do you still want me to pay a visit to Kakashi or would you rather I wait to see what the Akatsuki decides to do?"

"Hmm…let's not be hasty Kabuto. I would love to have my precious Sasuke back but he isn't important right now. We need to finish off Itachi. If they can manage to kill Itachi then no one will stand in my way and I can crush the Leaf Village once and for all."

"Yeah but what about…?"

"The other Akatsuki members are no threat to me. They do not possess such kekegenki as the Sharingan. At any rate, this should prove to be an interesting chain of events."

"Yes, my lord."

--

--

Itachi and Kisame stood outside the cave and listened to the bandits inside of it. The bandits were too dumb and too careless to have noticed the increased chakra levels in the area and so Itachi decided that picking a fight with them would be pointless. Instead, he decided to linger outside to get information.

"So what are we going to do about Kakashi?"

"We'll kill him!" one of the bandits shouted.

"Like hell we will! He's the Copy Ninja! He's probably got jutsu outside of this world!"

"Yeah well we can't let him hinder us from getting what we want. Besides, we have Orochimaru on our side. If push come to shove we can always count on him to help."

_Count on Orochimaru to help? What in the hell is going on?_ Itachi just frowned.

"Is something the matter Itachi?" Kisame asked.

"I don't know," he replied. "At any rate I think we should find a place nearby to stay. I am curious as to how these guys are involved with Orochimaru." _Help? Orochimaru never helps anyone unless there's something in it for him. I want to see what he's up to._

**--BB--**

Guy had been in his room for most of the day. He ventured out that morning for a quick run and then he took a quick dip in the hot tub before confining himself to his room again. He had been too afraid and ashamed to show his face. During his morning run, he ran straight into the Hokage which was not good. She said tat he looked funny and tried her best to get information out of him by questioning him about his condition. Guy leaned back on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. _This has got to stop. I can't let some hormone raging teenager get the best of me. I am Might Guy! No one gets the best of me._

Guy pushed himself off the bed and traipsed across the room to his chest of drawers. He opened the middle drawer and pulled out some silky green boxers. He changed out of his jumpsuit and into his boxers before climbing back in bed. He blew out his candle and closed his eyes for the night. He tossed and turned for the first twenty minutes because he could not sleep.

Every time he closed his eyes he would think about how cute Tenten looked as she sucked on his cock. Just thinking about it was making his loins burn with desire. Guy's hands slid down his chest and underneath the silky material of his shorts. He clasped his throbbing erection and began to stroke it lightly.

"Oh God…Tenten…"

He closed his eyes and imagined that his hand was really Tenten's fisting him good while he played with her breasts. How he longed to feel her tiny erect nipples between his fingers while her tongue licked the tip of his cock good. He began to stroke faster as he imagined Tenten's warmth enclosing his hardness. It wasn't long before his shorts were soaked with his release.

"Damn," he muttered. He slid out of his shorts and tossed them to the side before grudgingly rolling over to fall asleep.

**--BB--**

For Kakashi's team, the day seemed to fly right on by. It did not take Naruto and the others long to get an idea of the village perimeters thanks to Hinata. They finished up scouting the area within the hour and it took them even less time to prepare for the night. When they were done setting traps and setting up camp nearby, they all decided to clean up a bit. Hinata headed inside the inn to get a shower while the guys all headed for the hot tub. Kakashi sat in a tree with his new book and said he'd take a shower inside later. Naruto and Sasuke shrugged before heading around the corner to the hot tub.

"Ahh…this is great," Naruto said with a sigh. He closed his eyes and leaned back into the water letting the steam engulf him good. Sasuke just rolled his eyes and did the same. It was weird being all alone with Naruto. Sasuke could vaguely remember the last time he was alone with the blue eyed demon and it was something that he'd rather not remember. But still…Sasuke cut his eyes over at the blonde who was now purring with glee. Sasuke couldn't help but to grin. _That Naruto…always so easily amused. It doesn't take much to satisfy the idiot. _Sasuke scoffed and turned away closing his eyes as well. The steam seemed to relax his sore muscles but it was doing nothing for his head. Normally a dip in the hot tub or hot spring would clear his mind of any and all concerns but not today. He opened his eyes and glared at Naruto. Naruto was half sleep half awake but his constant purring, no matter how soft, was starting to annoy him. Not that he didn't like purrs. He had come to discover over the years, much to his dismay, how much he enjoyed the sound of a soft purr. However, a purr coming from Naruto was a different story.

He enjoyed it all too well and it frustrated him to no end. The more he glared at Naruto, the more his face began to soften. Though Naruto could be a complete and total idiot there was no denying that the blue eyed wonder was handsome. Sasuke knew. He always knew that Naruto was pretty and that was what frustrated him. Yes. Sakura was dead sexy but Naruto…well, he found Naruto to be just as sexy if not more. _Oh fuck. What am I? Gay?_

"Hmph. Yeah right," he muttered.

"Hmm…Did you want something Sasuke?" Naruto purred softly. The sound of Sasuke's name rolling off the blonde's tongue sent chills down his spine. _Alright. Just calm down Sasuke. Maybe you're feeling like this because you haven't had any in a while._ Sasuke glanced over at Naruto who was now splashing water in his face. He watched the blonde lean back against the hot tub as warm water trickled down his lean torso. _Okay. It must be the steam. I swear I am losing my fucking mind here. _Sasuke stood up and started past Naruto for the stairs. _I have got to get out of this water._ A pair of hands grabbed him by the waist and pulled him back into the water.

"AHHHH! CUT IT OUT NARUTO! YOU IDIOT!" he yelled as he fell under the water. Sasuke quickly stood to his feet only to find Naruto staring at him with a broad grin on his face. "Dammit man. What the hell was that for?"

"I dunno. I just felt like being an ass," he grinned. "Besides, don't tell me you wouldn't have done the same thing," he pouted folding his arms across his chest. Sasuke stared at the blonde and did his best to keep a frown. Naruto looked so cute with his lips poked out like that. So cute in fact that Sasuke wanted to see how they tasted. He didn't have long to dwell on the thought for Naruto spit water in his face.

"Ah man…cut it out!" Sasuke grumbled. Naruto ducked underneath the water to capture more of the hot liquid into his mouth but when he resurfaced Sasuke was ready for him. Sasuke dipped his own head underneath the water before Naruto could spit on him. Then he grabbed the blonde's arms and pushed him back against the side of the hot tub. "Looks like I've got you…Naruto." Once again, Naruto poked out his lips and frowned.

"You don't play fair Sasuke."

"Oh but I do. You see Naruto, of all the days to play your little games you just had to pick today. Do you remember the last time we were left alone for several hours?" Sasuke asked. He could feel Naruto's warm breath on his neck and he was doing his best to ignore it but nothing helped.

"Uh…no. I don't," Naruto replied airily.

"Good," Sasuke smirked. "Then I can do as I please," he muttered before taking the blonde's lips into his mouth. Another soft purr escaped Naruto's throat as Sasuke's tongue entered his mouth. _His purrs are so sexy…_Sasuke ran his hands down Naruto's slender, wet sides until he reached his boxers. He tugged at the elastic fabric before sliding his hands back up his sides.

"Sa…Sasuke…" he moaned. Sasuke's lips left Naruto's and he began to trail small butterfly kisses down the blonde's torso. Naruto fingers brushed the raven haired shinobi's neck and it drove him further insane. _I am not getting turned on by this idiot._ Sasuke looked up to see Naruto's piercing stare and it made him want to take him right then and there. _Yep. I'm getting turned on by an idiot. _He ran his tongue back up Naruto's torso and to his lips, kissing the young blonde again, this time more slowly making his head spin.

"Sa…Sasuke," he whispered faintly.

"Hmmm?" he managed. His face was now buried in Naruto's neck taking in the sweet smell of his body. _My God he smells good._ Sasuke brushed his lips against Naruto's neck drawing another sweet purr from his friend. Sasuke instantly got hard, his erection now throbbing against his friend's thigh.

"You do…realize…what you're…"

"I know," he whispered. "But don't talk. Please don't talk. Just enjoy the moment," he whispered softly.

"You guys?" Sasuke and Naruto both froze at the sound of Kakashi sensei's voice. Sasuke turned around to face his team leader, his face burning with embarrassment. Kakashi did not seem to have noticed anything out of the ordinary. In fact, he did not look up at them at all. His face was glued to the newest edition of Master Jiraiya's Icha Icha series. _Thank God._

"Uh…yeah?" Sasuke asked irritably.

"I'm heading inside to check on Hinata then I'm going to get a shower. You guys can eat you something and then meet me at the campsite in an hour."

"Uh…right," Naruto said grinning. When Kakashi disappeared, Sasuke let out a huge breath. _I am going inside before I do something else stupid. I can't believe I made a pass at my best friend and all because I was horny! Naruto! He's such an idiot! A blue eyed, annoying, beautifully sculptured, sexy…_

"GAHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed. He turned to glare at Naruto once more before storming out of the hot tub. He was now wishing that this mission would hurry and come to an end before anything else out of the ordinary could happen.

--

--

Kakashi grinned as he headed out of the shower. The scene in which he had witnessed earlier was one that he'd rather not witness again. He had no idea that Sasuke was so…open-minded. Then again, he had always questioned Sasuke's sexuality. Sure Sasuke could bang any girl that he wanted to in the village but Kakashi had always known about the unrivaled chemistry that existed between the two teammates. Whether Sasuke wanted to admit it or not, he and Naruto had always had that chemistry that could set the sheets on fire if tested. Kakashi shook his head and grinned again. _If Sasuke keeps denying his body of what it wants, it's only going to get worse._ Kakashi grabbed a white towel and wrapped it around his waist before heading to the room across the hall. He had left his book on the bed in the other room. He opened the door and just stood there frozen on the spot. Hinata was lying on the bed in her nightie, her back supported by a pillow and she was reading his book. _Oh no. I can't believe I left that._

"Kakashi sensei! I uh…saw your book and um…well I wasn't going to read it and all but I…it kind of fell open on the floor and well…I'm sorry," she stammered. Kakashi shook his head as he started across the room. With each passing step his eyes started paying less attention to the book in her hands but more attention to the silky smooth legs that were stretched out in front of her. _Oh fuck._ He stopped at the foot of the bed and cursed himself silently for gawking at her legs. He felt a pair of tiny hands clasp his shoulders seconds later. He opened his eyes to see that Hinata had crawled to the foot of the bed and was standing on her knees staring him in the eye.

"Ka…Kakashi sensei, I'm sorry for reading your novel. I just…you're always so intrigued by its contents and well…I was just curious," she replied softly. "Please don't be mad."

"How could get mad at you princess?" he chuckled softly. She smiled at him and her face lit up. _How cute...I just love how she glows._ She threw her arms around him hugging him tightly. "Uh…Hinata? It's really….quite…alright." She pulled away from him and looked down towards the floor. "Awe, Hinata. Princess what's wrong?" he whispered.

"I'm…sorry for always hugging you and stuff. I just…I get so excited and you always make me happy. I just…can't help myself sometimes," she sulked. Kakashi lifted her chin with his index finger and caressed her lips with his thumb. Her warm tongue licked her lips and his thumb in the process sending a shiver down his spine. He leaned forward and captured her tongue in his mouth sucking it gently. She wrapped her tiny arms around his neck allowing him to deepen the kiss.

He placed a hand behind her back as he leaned forward, lowering himself on top of her. She moaned sweetly when his lips left her own to graze her neck. His hands began to wander aimlessly up her smooth legs and under her gown, cupping her soft bare breasts. His arousal was begging to get out from behind his towel but he knew better. In fact, he was well aware of what he was doing yet he couldn't bring himself to stop just yet. He wanted to tantalize her senses and bring her pleasure but he also knew that if he continued to test the waters he would cave in. With one final lingering kiss to her lips, he finally managed to tear himself away from her.

"Good night princess. Sweet dreams," he said softly as he closed the door behind him. _This has got to stop before I really start to care…_

"More than I should," he whispered.

* * *

**AN:** _I promise there will be more Kak/Hin action but all in due time. Besides, I'm not quite done with the whole Nar/Hin/Sasu/Itachi something just yet. My mind is just weird like that. Plus, you got a fairly long update so be happy and joyous and…I'm really sleepy…but I have to go to work in a few hours. Grrr….Don't expect the next chapters to be this long but my brain was on a role so here ya go. The fruits of staying up all night. LOLz Reviews:_


	15. Finger Licking Confessions Ambushed!

Sasuke wandered around the Inn until he found the dining area. Naruto was already seated at the table stuffing his face with steak and rice. _Hmmm not bad Kakashi. Steak…I just love steak._ Sasuke started towards the table taking a seat right across from Naruto. Naruto looked up and grinned at his friend before going back to stuffing his face. _God Naruto you are such a dork! _Sasuke grabbed a plate and started fixing him some food. The table was just full of delicious goodness. Sasuke scooped him some rice along with some steak, shrimp, and cucumbers. He sauced them up good and began eating. Seconds later, he looked up and noticed that Naruto was staring at him, his lips poked out in a pout. _No, not that again. I hate when he pouts!_

"What?!" he shouted irritably at the blonde.

"Sasuke, where'd you get shrimp from?"

"Uh…it was on the other side of the chicken platter but I suppose you were in too big of a hurry to find it. Now there's no more. It's all gone. I got the last few pieces of shrimp," he teased.

"Aw…Sasuke you know I love shrimp. Come on. Lemme have one. Please?"

"Um…no," he smirked. He picked up a shrimp with his chopsticks, dipped it in some cocktail sauce, and ate it very slowly in front of his friend. Naruto just stared at him, his mouth watering for some shrimp. _Ha ha This is great. Naruto's such a dork._ Sasuke did it again, eating another shrimp slowly in front of his pouting friend. Naruto let out a sigh and went back to eating his rice.

"Oh dammit Naruto! Here," he grumbled. He picked up a shrimp and held it up for his friend.

"What?! Really!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah. Just take it before I…what now?" he snapped.

"But…Sasuke…you have to feed it to me."

"WHAT! WHY?"

"Because I have soy sauce all over my hands and I don't like soy sauce on my shrimp. I want cocktail sauce like you have and I dropped my napkin on the floor so…so I can't wipe my hands and I really want some shrimp," he whined. Sasuke just glared at Naruto for several seconds shaking his head. _He has got to be the biggest loser ever! I am so not feeding him this shrimp!_

"I'm not feeding you Naruto."

"Aw come on Sasuke! There's no one in here. I promise not to tell but…but I really want some shrimp."

"DAMN IT NARUTO! STOP THAT FUCKING WHINING!" he snapped. Naruto slumped back into his chair staring sadly at his plate. Sasuke stared at him for a moment before letting out a sigh.

"Here…Naruto." He held up the shrimp with his chopsticks and Naruto's face lit up. Naruto leaned across the table but it wouldn't reach. "Oh damn." Sasuke got up and took his plate with him, taking a seat next to the blonde. He picked up a shrimp with his finger, dipped it in the cocktail sauce, and fed it to the blonde.

"Mmm…more," he said gleefully. Sasuke rolled his eyes and picked up another shrimp.

"Last one," he grumbled. He did the same as before, dipping it in sauce then feeding it to the blonde. Naruto quickly ate the shrimp purring happily at its goodness. Sasuke stood up to leave but then he felt Naruto's tongue brush his index finger.

"What the…?" He looked to see that some cocktail sauce had dripped on his fingers and the blonde was licking it up. "Na…Naruto don't…" But of course, he was not listening. He seemed to be enjoying himself, licking the side of his finger and then taking it into his mouth fully, sucking it like a lollipop. Sasuke just stared at him, his mouth wide open. He was just too shocked to do anything or say anything for that matter. Naruto moved on to the next finger, sucking happily as if he didn't have a care in the world. _He has no idea what he's doing to me! _Sasuke sat back down next to the blonde, running a finger down his arm until he reached his hand.

He picked up Naruto's hand that was doused in soy sauce and began licking his fingers as well. Naruto stared at him for a moment but then went back to licking Sasuke's fingers. Sasuke just chuckled, his tongue now moving from finger to finger. _I suppose he thinks this is a game. Well, I'll play along…_Naruto and Sasuke both reached the last finger at the same time. Naruto was the first to look up wearing an expression that clearly said 'disappointed'. Sasuke grinned, dropping Naruto's hand and scooting closer to him.

"What's the matter with you ya dork?"

"I…don't know."

"I think you've lost your mind…licking my fingers like that. You have any idea what you were doing to me?"

"Uh…cleaning your fingers?"

"Um…no." _Actually, you were making me hard as a rock. I should just slam you on the table and have my way with you…Gahh…no. You're a guy. Fuck._

"Well if you didn't like it, you could have stopped me ya know. It's never stopped you before, punching me in the face when I did something you didn't like." He folded his arms across his chest glaring at his raven haired friend. He poked his lips out frowning.

"You're missing the point here idiot. Man, you are so predictable."

"Am not!"

"Are too you loser."

"I'm sick of you calling me loser!" he griped.

"Well shut up and I won't be able to call you names…or do I have to help you shut up?" he growled. He was getting pissed off at Naruto. The blonde's stubbornness was making him want to beat the living daylights out of him but at the same time he was still turned on by the loser.

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Never mind," he muttered. He clenched Naruto's shirt, pulling him closer. He drew back a fist to hit him in the face but stopped short when he felt the blonde's warm breath hit his face. Naruto stared at him his eyes wide with fright waiting for the impact. _Dammit Naruto!_ He loosened his grip on the blonde dropping his head down in the process. _Why can't I hit him? I really REALLY want to hit him but I can't._

"Sa…Sasuke?" he purred. Sasuke's head shot up and he met Naruto's concerned gaze.

"What…Naruto?" he sighed.

"I'm…sorry."

"No…Naruto. Don't be. I…shouldn't have yelled at you like that."

"But I am…I'm sorry Sasuke." Sasuke's heart wanted to just melt. Naruto looked as if he were about to cry and it was all his fault. Sasuke reached up and cupped the blonde's face. At that instant, he wanted to kiss him fully, passionately on the lips as if he were his to claim. The moment was ruined when the maids entered the room gossiping noisily about something or another. Sasuke let go of Naruto and stormed out of the dining area. _Gah, I'm going to fucking bed before I lose my cool again. Sometimes I really hate that blonde!_

--xx--

Kakashi was wondering when the boys were going to come outside for guard duty but after waiting an hour, he finally spotted Sasuke storming out of the inn. _Hmm…I wonder what's got him so pissed._

"Sasuke?"

"Aye sensei?"

"You alright?" Sasuke stared up at Kakashi, who was sitting on a branch in a tree just outside the inn eating candy.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he grumbled.

"O…k. Where's Naruto?"

"Who cares about that loser? He's somewhere and I don't care," he snapped. Sasuke started pitching the tent and when he had it just right he went inside for the night. Kakashi let out a sigh as he leaned back against the tree. _I really wish Sasuke would grow up. He likes Naruto and I'm certain the blonde wouldn't protest too much if Sasuke showed some interest in him._ A second later Naruto could be seen coming out of the inn. He was in his PJs and was looking slightly hurt.

"Naruto?"

"Aye sensei?"

"Uh…are you alright?"

"I guess. Uh…have you seen Sasuke?" Kakashi pointed at the tent that was pitched in front of the tree he was stationed at. "Oh…well uh…"

"Go on inside and get some sleep Naruto. Sasuke's probably already drifting off as he's always one to fall asleep before either you or Sakura."

"Hai," he answered softly. With his head still hanging low, he entered the tent for the night. Kakashi leaned back against the tree staring up at the night sky. It was a lovely, peaceful night and he only hoped it would stay that way. He was in no mood to deal with bandits tonight but if they decided to show, he would be ready.

"Ka…Kakashi sensei?" Kakashi looked down to see Hinata standing at the base of the tree. She was bare feet wearing only some biker shorts and a white tank. Her hair was hanging down blowing freely in the wind.

"Hinata? Princess why are you out here? You should be in bed."

"I…I was afraid and I…I didn't want to be alone. Please…can I sit out here with you until I fall asleep?" She looked up at him with those marvelous Hyuuga orbs and his heart wanted to melt. _How can I say no to that look?_

"Come on up princess." She nodded her head and by focusing her chakra to her feet, she easily ran up the tree taking a seat on the branch next to Kakashi. He slid his arm around her waist pulling her closer. "You know, are you always one for not doing what you are told?" he asked grinning.

"Well…actually…yes," she giggled.

"You are making my job as sensei pretty hard and most people know how much I hate working hard."

"Aye I'm sorry sensei." He shook his head grinning at her humbleness. It was so cute yet very sexy. He pulled out another candy bar and broke it in half giving her a piece.

"Thank you sensei," she giggled.

"Anytime. I have to stay awake and since you are out here, I might as well keep you up as well. It's too dark for me to read anything so you being here is actually just the thing I needed." She watched him in awe as he ate his candy bar, his tongue peeking out every now and then to lick the chocolate and caramel off of his lips. Hinata didn't know why but she wanted to lick the caramel off his lips instead. It looked fun and since he'd kissed her before already, she wanted a reason to return the favor. However, she got a blessing in disguise when the caramel just missed his lips and drizzled on his hand.

"Oh damn," he grumbled. He brought his hand to his mouth but Hinata stopped him, placing her hand on top of his.

"Aye sensei, let me get that for you." She brought her mouth to his hand, sucking the caramel off of it. Kakashi's body shuddered slightly at the warmth of her mouth.

"Hinata…" She very carefully turned so that she could straddle him on the branch. "Hi…Hinata, you'll fall. What are doing?" She grabbed his arms forcing him to encircle her waist.

"I'm eating the chocolate and caramel," she whispered. "You have some on your lips." She gave him no time to protest by quickly leaning over capturing his bottom lip in her mouth.

"Hi…" She slid her tongue into his mouth kissing him gently. Her tiny hands cupped his face, deepening the kiss. A low growl escaped his lips causing her to giggle. She pulled away staring into the eyes of her sensei. He only smiled, clasping her chin and pulling her forward to cover her mouth once more. His arousal was worsening and he was pretty sure she had sensed it for she wriggled her hips in response. He tore his lips away from hers guiding them to her neck kissing her sweetly.

"God princess, you have no idea…no idea," he chuckled. His lips left her neck then he leaned back against the tree, clasping her hands and bringing them to his mouth. He kissed the back of both of them before pulling her into a warm hug burying his face into the side of her neck. "Hinata?"

"Hmm?"

"I…you never cease to amaze me. You're full of surprises."

"Is that a good thing?" she asked softly.

"Well yes. I suppose it is princess but…" He let out a sigh. Yes indeed, Hinata was full of surprises and in most cases this really would be a good thing but as her sensei it was not so good. Student-teacher relationships were not only forbidden but could cause a lot of difficulties in the future. Then there was the fact that she was a Hyuuga. Of all the clans native of the Leaf Village, she had to have been a Hyuuga. That meant double the no no.

"Sensei?"

"Hmmm?"

"You sound worried. Did I do something wrong? You…you kissed me earlier and I wanted to kiss you back."

"I know princess and that was wrong of me…to kiss you like that."

"But why sensei?"

"Because you're a Hyuuga and you're my student. There are some lines that mustn't be crossed and I made a terrible mistake earlier."

"But…is it still a mistake if I liked it?" Kakashi sat up and looked her in the eye. She was so precious and sweet making it very hard to resist doing anything to her.

"Wrong is wrong Hinata. You may have liked the kiss but it was still wrong of me to kiss you."

"Sensei, I have a confession to make."

"Confession?"

"Yes. I…I like you…a lot," she whispered.

"No, Hinata don't say that. You can't like me. A crush maybe but not like that. I think you should try to get with Sasuke. He's really quite the guy once you get to know him. And don't mind Sakura because trust me, he hates her."

"Sensei, I'm not attracted to Sasuke like that. Sure he's cute and all but…I like you."

"Hinata…"

"You're the only person who's ever acknowledged me for me. You don't try and change my quiet behavior and you don't yell at me for being weak. You brought me on the team to boost my confidence and I want you to know that it's taking all of my confidence to tell you all of this." Tears were now streaming down her face making Kakashi feel sick.

"Oh Hinata, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry." He wrapped his arms around her again listening as she sobbed on his shoulder. "Hinata, don't take this the wrong way because...I was telling you this because I like you too princess. I like you more than I should and it's wrong," he whispered.

"You do?"

"Yes, I do Hinata. I like you a lot."

"But I like you more," she giggled.

"Well I…" Something went whizzing by his head hitting the branch above him. He looked up to see a small paper bomb that had been ignited. "HINATA!" She held onto him as he jumped out of the tree and just in time too. The bomb went off and the top half of the tree was blown to smithereens. _Who threw that? _

"Hey Kakashi. We're back and we came to get something." Hinata stood next to Kakashi her Byakugan blazing ready for action. Kakashi's mask was already lowered, his Sharingan eye ready as well. Naruto and Sasuke appeared a moment later; Naruto on all fours with Sasuke on the other side, his curse mark glowing from his anger.

"Well why don't you come and get it?" Kakashi coaxed. The bandits started closing in but their leader, Jakume stopped them.

"Hold on a second guys. We have to wait a second."

"But why?" one of his minions asked.

"Because Kabuto said so."

Kakashi's eyes went wide with shock. _Kabuto? Oh no…_

"Sasuke, Naruto, stay alert."

"Right," they answered in unison.

"Hinata, come over here where I can see you." There was no answer. "Hinata?"

"She's right here Kakashi." There was a low chuckle that made Kakashi's blood boil. He turned around quickly and found himself face to face with Kabuto himself. "You know Kakashi, I wasn't expecting it to be so easy getting the girl."

"_Kabuto._ I should have killed you that day in the hospital."

"Kakashi please. Don't give me that. You would have let me live even if you could have caught me but I proved that day in the hospital that I was smarter than you and I proved it again just now. You had no idea that I was here." Kakashi watched Hinata as she kicked and squirmed trying to get away from Kabuto but he was holding her tightly around the neck cutting off her air supply. "Kakashi, you might wanna tell missy here to hold still. The more she squirms the more I'm going to squeeze."

"Hinata, don't move. He's going to make you faint and I need you to be alert." She immediately stopped moving but was now staring at the ground, a sad expression on her face. _I'm so useless. Why couldn't I have been paying attention? Instead, I was watching sensei and now look what I've done._ "Princess, don't look so sad. I'll get you back from this arrogant show-off and then I'll let _you_ finish him off for me."

"You don't sound so sure yourself Kakashi, so how is it that you can make her believe in you if you don't believe in yourself?"

"Kabuto, stop being so dramatic. Bring the girl here so we can get out of here. I'm bored already." Kakashi's body went numb at the sound of that voice.

"OROCHIMARU! THIS TIME I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Naruto growled. His body had already began changing, one tail already waving back and forth.

"Naruto, you have to suppress that chakra. We don't want a repeat of what happened the last time," Kakashi noted.

"Yeah well, you got any bright ideas?" Naruto growled.

"I do," Sasuke grinned. "How about you let me take care of Oro? Besides, he and I have some unfinished business." The curse mark on his neck began to expand, covering half of his face.

"Oh come now Sasuke. After all I've done for you," Orochimaru hissed. There was a big gust of wind and a cloud of smoke that quickly engulfed the area followed by loud screams of anguish. When the smoke finally cleared, all of the bandits were laid out in the middle of the area, their heads having been severed.

"Oh gosh. Looks like someone's more ruthless than you Kabuto," Orochimaru said frowning. _No mistaking who that could be..._"I think we need to take our leave Kabuto. Bring the girl and let's get going."

"Why not stay Orochimaru? After all it was you who invited us right?" Out of the smoke, two figures emerged, coming towards them at a slow pace. Kakashi squinted his eyes to see who they were, hoping that his ears had been wrong. Nope. It was him alright.

"Dammit," he muttered.

"Kakashi, you look about as happy to see me as Lord Orochimaru here. Oh, and you have Sasuke with you. Poor, stricken, disturbed little Sasuke. Tell me baby brother, have you missed me?"

* * *

**AN:**Another long-ish chapter accompanied by another mission gone wrong. Damn. It. All. I really was trying to write a short, to-the-point, love story but as it would seem I have complicated things. _-bangs head against wall-_ Oh well. Let's see, well I suppose I should go ahead and give you the God awful news. You see, there's a really good chance that the next update may not come for another two months. _-gasp-_ I know. I know. _-dodges bullets-_ But it can't be helped. I can't afford to go to school this summer. Private schools are expensive so yeah, that's why. Also, unless my parents let me purchase a wireless card and service from VZW then I have no internet. -- You have no idea how much that pains me. -sobs hysterically- However, in the meantime, I could recommend some awesome fics to keep you occupied until I come back. xD Ok. So it isn't much but it's the best I can do ya know? Let's see...my fellow YAOI fans...or just new Sasuke/Naruto lovers, I am writing a Sas/Nar fic called _**'Confessions of a Dying Heart'**_. I mean, some of you have already figured out it was me writing it but in the event that you didn't know, now you know. Go check it out. It's under the pseudonym **EroSeninsDeciples** . Y? Because we rock...or at least some of us do. Let's see...what else have I read that's pretty good...oh yes, you should read my _**'Expecto Ninjutsu'**_. Why? Well, I dunno. J likes it. Um...anything else? Oh yes, I think you should read _**'Vessel'**_. I am not the author of that one but it's a very interesting Naruto/Orochiaru fic. Yes, I know but you won't know how you'll like something unless you try it ya know? Plus, I am VERY picky about what I choose to read so trust me when I say, it's a pretty good read. Author of that one is **KCameh**. Now please review. Tell me your thoughts, griefs, ect. Love to all who are reading this fic.


	16. Deadly Mind Games of the Heart

**AN: Okay. A few things you should know. (-) will represent the conversation inside people's head. Ex. The effects of the Mangekyo Sharingan. I tried to divide it up the best way that I could so I hope it's alright. Rating for this chapter may be pushing NC-17 or MA. It's not that bad in my opinion but just in case you've been warned. In the future there may be other chapters like this so you've been warned. And so the story continues...**

* * *

Sasuke's body just froze at the sound of his brother's voice. He tried to move his body in order to face his brother but his body just would not move. He then realized that his upper body was shaking, possibly out of fear but it was all in his head. His heart however, was beating painfully fast as the urge to kill his brother was slowly taking over him. The curse mark kept spreading across his body, the pain and power flowing through his body like a drug.

"Sasuke! Snap out of it!" Kakashi's voice followed by a slap on the back of the head brought Sasuke back. He let out a deep breath and dropped to his knees feeling somewhat lightheaded. He had no earthly idea that he'd stopped breathing for so long. _I…could have killed myself._

While Sasuke was hovered over the ground, it was taking everything in Kakashi's power not to stare the older Sharingan brother in the eye. He had done that once before and as a result was in the hospital for a week. _Damn it! I don't need this right now!_ He cut his eyes towards Kabuto who was standing adjacent to him, glaring at the two figures dressed in black. Kakashi just grinned on the inside. _So it would seem that even the great Orochimaru and his side kick are afraid that they are no match for one of the Akatsuki. I should use this to my advantage…if I can…_

"Kabuto…Orochimaru. Aren't you going to take them out? After all you are one of the legendary sanin. If you beat them now then you shouldn't have too much trouble getting your precious Sasuke back," Kakashi smirked. Orochimaru glared at Kakashi before a sadistic smile daunted his face.

"Well Kakashi, I have no reason to take out those two," Orochimaru hissed. "They've done nothing to me. Besides, I got what I came here for but uh…it would seem that they are after something of yours. I think I can take my leave now. Come Kabuto." With a poof Kabuto disappeared then reappeared at his master's side holding the lady Hinata in his arms. Her body was limp and she was asleep…almost dead looking. Kakashi's heart stopped in that instant and he could feel his stomach knotting up.

"Kabuto…why does she look like that? What have you done to her?" He did nothing to mask the urgency and fear in his voice which only amused Orochimaru and Kabuto to no end.

"Why so frantic Kakashi? You shouldn't worry too much about her. After all, it's not like you've known her for long like Sakura…unless you two are lovers," Kabuto challenged.

"It's nothing like that," he growled but his voice was still wavering slightly.

"Then you love her."

"I don't love…" But his throat had completely knotted up silencing him.

"Ahh so Kakashi finally has a soft spot," Itachi said softly. "I have been wondering how to manipulate you best into handing over the kyuubi without having to tire myself too much. Looks like Orochimaru has done me a favor. I suppose I can let him live for now right Kisame?"

"He he If you say so. Still…I'd love to play with him for a while. Orochimaru's very pretty. I'm sure I could find plenty of ways to toy with him before you kill him," he grinned licking his lips. Orochimaru looked absolutely disgusted and clenched his fist out of anger. _Pretty! That fool called me pretty?! I'll show him pretty…_

"Whatever it is you're about to do Orochimaru is a bad idea. You seem to not understand the seriousness of the situation," Itachi coaxed. "I could take all of you on right now without even breaking a sweat but I'm choosing not to. I think you should take your leave and let us handle the pride of the Hidden Leaf. This is your last chance to take my offer otherwise you won't be shown any mercy in the event Kakashi refuses to give me what I want."

"I guess Orochimaru should get going then because there's no way in hell I'm handing Naruto over to you," Kakashi snapped.

"Not even if I cut Orochimaru's throat and hand you the girl?" Itachi asked menacingly in barely a whisper. Kakashi's face suddenly drained of all color as he stared at the ground. Without thinking he looked up into the eyes of Itachi and suddenly found himself trapped inside the mind of the sadistic Uchiha sibling.

**-sharingan-**

-That was far too easy Kakashi. You let your guard down all because you've fallen in love.

-I…I haven't fallen…I…-

The older Uchiha snapped his fingers and Kakashi found himself pinned to the ground by him. The older Uchiha covered his body and planted a kiss on his cheek. Kakashi tried to struggle but he realized that his arms and legs had been chained to the ground.

-Let me go! Let me…let me out…I have to save her…-

Itachi bit the earlobe of his snowy haired rival before a cold almost cruel grin escaped his throat.

-The more you struggle against my jutsu, the weaker you'll become. It's not my fault you grew weak, lusting after a woman. And to think I thought a shinobi of your caliber knew how important it was to not fall in love. Love only clouds the mind and could potentially be your downfall. Just look at you. How fucking pathetic!-

He ran his razor sharp nails down the side of Kakashi's face cutting him all the way from his earlobe to the side of his cheek, right across his legendary scar. The blood started to seep through the cut trickling down the side of his face. Itachi ran a finger along side the cut, playing with the thick red substance on his finger. He smiled before yanking off Kakashi's mask revealing beautiful bare skin underneath. He ran a blood stained finger across Kakashi's lips before pressing his lips against the older man's in a crushing kiss. Kakashi tried to bite his tongue but the Uchiha was prepared. He had taken a small kunai knife and was now sticking it very slowly into the older man's side causing him to cry out in pain.

-You better hold still and accept this punishment otherwise we'll just have a repeat of the last time. I could leave you in here for days and days. No one can stop me, not even Sasuke. He's too busy hurled over on the ground, his body shaking out of fear. Orochimaru knows that I have you trapped but he wouldn't dare interfere. He wants to crush the Leaf Village too badly to care what happens to you. Naruto is sadly locked in my jutsu as well. He of course has already passed out because his body and mind could not handle it. That's the situation so what are you going to do…Kakashi?-

Kakashi's eyes widened out of surprise and fear at this news but he chose to stay silent. There was nothing he could do. He refused to let any of his comrades fall before him ever again and if by letting Itachi have his way with him would save the lives of his team mates then so be it. Itachi's took his silence as a silent agreement and proceeded by yanking the vest open and cutting the shirt down the middle using his kunai to reveal very sexy, lean abs. Itachi rolled off of Kakashi and rid himself of all his clothing revealing his very erect member. Kakashi saw this and his stomach tightened in knots. He knew that it was only in his mind but he was too weak to even attempt to break the hold. His only option was for someone to insert their chakra into his body but no one could do it.

-I'm fucked-

-Not yet, but you will be-

Before Itachi could mount his prey, he yanked down Kakashi's pants and then his boxers smiling sadistically at the naked man. He clasped the older man's member firmly making him squirm with disgust.

-You'd enjoy this more if you'd be still.-

-Go to hell you bastard. If I ever…I swear I'll kill you!-

-Maybe you will or maybe you won't but you are in no position to be making threats. Just relax Kakashi. Not everyone gets this privilege from me. Consider yourself lucky-

He began to stroke the older man's member slowly, laughing at his prey while he called him every foul word in the book. This only turned Itachi on even more, his stroking becoming faster and more precise. Kakashi was disgusted and wanted nothing more than to rip the oldest Uchiha to shreds but the pleasure was starting to get to him. Before he could utter another word, he felt something warm and wet tease his member. He bit his lip refusing to let any sound escape his throat but the older Uchiha was very skilled in this area. He quickly found his sensitive spot and Kakashi couldn't help but to moan softly.

-I knew you'd warm up to me Kakashi-

Itachi took Kakashi in his mouth slowly, making the older man squirm with pleasure. He sucked the tip of his cock slowly while teasing his balls with very skillful fingers. Kakashi closed his eyes tightly biting down on his lip harder. _I have to break this. I can't…I can't let him…Sasuke! Sasuke! Naruto!_

-They can't hear you Kakashi-

Kakashi could feel himself wanting to cum but he didn't want to. Not like this. Then there was the fact that he had no idea if he would cum for real as well.

-Come on Kakashi. You know you like this and you know you want to cum. Do it.-

-No! Sasuke! NARUTO!-

**-sharingan-**

Kakashi fell to his knees panting heavily. He stared at the ground and realized that he was back, no longer caught inside Itachi's mind but he was weak, very weak.

"Who…who broke the hold?" he managed.

"I did." He looked up to see Sasuke standing over him. His curse mark had already risen to a level two so his body had changed dramatically.

"How…did you…?"

"He did something to Naruto and I didn't like it," he growled. "Naruto…Naruto kept screaming and moaning, twitching on the ground all the while screaming for me to help him. It took forever to get him out. I think Itachi has perfected that jutsu somehow. I would have gotten you out sooner but I didn't even know you were trapped. I think everyone here somehow got stuck in one of his jutsus. Even Orochimaru and Kabuto were looking funny." Kakashi looked around for Kabuto and Orochimaru but they were no where to be found.

"Where's…where's Hinata?" he asked.

"I…I'm sorry sensei but…"

"WHERE IS SHE?!"

"I have her and the kyuubi so now I'll just take my leave." Itachi was still standing in the exact same spot but Kisame was now standing beside him, Hinata flung over one shoulder and Naruto over the other.

"GIVE HIM BACK! GIVE NARUTO BACK YOU BASTARD! I WON'T LET YOU HAVE HIM!" Sasuke growled.

"Sorry little brother but all this could have been prevented if you just had the guts to fight me. Besides…you know how much I love blondes. I hope he's not a virgin because when I'm done with him…"

"You'll do nothing. Naruto will be the one to change you."

"I highly doubt that baby brother. Besides, you need to look after your sensei. I don't think he's too happy about what almost happened between the two of us," he grinned. Kakashi tried to stand but pain shot through his side and he fell over onto the ground. He rolled over on his side and watched as Kisame and Itachi disappeared like the wind with the kyuubi and his princess.

"HINATA! NO!" It was too late. They were long gone. Sasuke dropped to his knees next to his sensei. He laid his head on Kakashi's chest and they both just cried.

* * *

**AN:** _I know. I am a sick sadistic freak...um...actually I'm not. It's really Itachi. Just so you know, the end is nearing...depending on how long I make the next 6 chapters or so. Sorry about the long delay but as you know I was on permanent hiatus. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll try to update again next week. Someone should really write a oneshot using the crack pairing I introduced in this chapter. It's not really crack but I think it would make a helluva story. Te he he I guess that's all. Review if you want. I heart you guys!_


	17. In The Arms of a Savior and Enemy

When Hinata woke up, she had no idea where she was or how she got there. The room was very small and empty. The only things in the room were a small bed that had been pushed against one side of wall, a small stand that held a lantern for light and another door that led to the bathroom. There was a small window on the opposite side of the room but it looked as though it had been nailed shut. Hinata sat up on the bed and frowned as she tried to remember what had happened. _Alright. Let's see. I had my shower and then I went outside to sit with sensei. I…We were..._

"Oh no," she whispered. "I must be with Orochimaru." Hinata laid back onto the bed and started crying. _It's all my fault. I should have stayed inside like Kakashi sensei told me to. I am just as useless on his team as I was on Kiba's. I hope Kakashi and the others are alright._ The door suddenly opened and in walked the man with the fish face.

"Ahh so you're awake are you?" he grinned. Hinata sat up quickly and slid back as far as she could against the headboard. _God, please don't let him hurt me! _"So I scare you huh? Hmpf. To be honest pretty lady, I don't really think it's me you should be fearing. That Itachi is another story. Anyway he sent me to make sure you were still alive. Said he wouldn't put it past Kabuto to poison you or something. I'll see about getting you some grub. Hope you like raw fish," he chuckled before heading out, locking the door behind him.

--xx--

Naruto awakened not too long after Hinata in another room on an entirely different hall. His room was just as dark but it was a little bigger than Hinata's room. He tried to sit up but sadly he could not. _What the…?_ His arms and legs had been chained to the bed so that he couldn't move. He wriggled and squirmed for the next five minutes or so but it was no use. All he was doing was making noise as the chains were clinking against the bed. The door suddenly flew open and his eyes met those of Itachi's.

"My my aren't we the little noise maker."

"YOU!" Naruto screamed. "LET ME GO! LET ME OUT OF THESE CHAINS SO I CAN BEAT YOU!"

"I'm sorry little one but I can't do that. I am in no mood to fight you and besides, you barely have enough chakra to breath let alone fight. I let Kisame get his fill of you before I sent him to run some errands. It's not everyday that we complete a mission successfully."

"I'll kill you," Naruto growled. "I'm going to kill you and when I do, you'll never hurt Sasuke and me again." Itachi's eyes flashed dangerously. Before Naruto could utter another word, Itachi was at his bed side, a hand now clasping his throat cutting off his air support.

"You will do well to learn not to ever mention Sasuke's name around me. I can't stand him and he can't stand me. The fact that someone as weak and pathetic as him could find someone to love him is beyond me."

"I…I never said that…I…loved him…" he managed.

"Oh? So it's a one-sided relationship is it not?"

"I don't…know what you're…please," he begged. "I can't…breath," he choked. Itachi stared down into the young blonde's eyes and smirked as he tightened the grip around Naruto's neck. The look of fear and sheer panic that his face bore just amused him to no end. There were tears now forming in the corner of the blonde's eyes and Itachi fought hard to suppress his amusement. Moment's later the blonde quit struggling, his eye lids becoming heavier. Itachi removed his hand, smiling sadistically as the blood trickled down the sides of the blonde's neck. _Poor Sasuke. If only you could see your lover now?_

Itachi backed away from the blonde and started towards the door.

"Sasuke's name should never be mentioned around me. Remember that and I may remember to be gentle with you in the future. Try me and I'll snap your neck in two." Naruto let out a sigh of relief as the door slammed shut. Though he normally wasn't scared of anything or anybody, he had to admit to himself that Itachi really was quite scary. He was almost scarier than Orochimaru.

Naruto's cuts along his neck seemed to be taking a lot longer to heal. He could still feel blood trickling down his neck and it was bothering him. He hated that sticky feeling that blood left not to mention the tickling sensation on his neck. He closed his eyes and tried to think of a way out of the situation but for some reason, all he could think about was Sasuke. Because Sasuke and Itachi looked so much alike, it was like looking at Sasuke when looking at Itachi. It was…weird. However, for some odd reason he just knew in his heart that Sasuke would never intentionally hurt him like that. In fact, he was certain that Sasuke would do everything he could to make him feel all better.

Most people only saw the arrogant jerk side of Sasuke. The pretty boy Sasuke. The genius and Sharingan warrior Sasuke but very few saw the sensitive side of Sasuke. The Sasuke that played with him when he was having a bad day. The Sasuke that carried him home in his arms when he'd collapse during training sessions. The Sasuke that stayed awake until he fell asleep after watching a scary movie. The Sasuke that held him close when they slept outdoors because of the cold. The Sasuke that kissed him…Naruto's eyes suddenly closed to let a tear roll down his cheek. _Oh God Sasuke…I'm sorry for making you angry and now I wish you were here…I'm scared and I need you…_

--xx--

Kakashi and Sasuke both woke up in the hospital in Konoha. They had no idea how they'd gotten there but both were somewhat relieved…that is until they remembered why they were there.

"HINATA!"

"NARUTO!"

"BOTH OF YOU CALM DOWN!" They jumped at the sound of Lady Tsunade's voice. She and Sakura were standing at the foot of their beds, arms folded out of disgust.

"Lady Tsunade please, you have to let me go and look…"

"Kakashi, this isn't like you to be so rash. You have to stay in bed because I am not clearing you to leave just yet. You and Sasuke both lost a lot of chakra in your last fight so you need to get some rest. Kakashi, you're worse off than Sasuke right now so you can bet you're not going anywhere right now," she scolded.

"What…exactly happened to you guys anyway?" Sakura asked. She went over towards Sasuke and started checking his blood pressure. Sasuke only continued to stare down at his covers as if in another world. Tsunade shook her head and sighed.

"Hey Sakura? Could you give me a minute alone with these two? I have quite the scolding to dish out." Sakura bowed politely before exiting the room. "Alright Kakashi. What happened and please don't leave anything out. I understand that this had something to do with Itachi and all but still…it's so unlike you to be unprepared. You would have never let them get both Hinata and Naruto. What's got you off your game?" Kakashi let out a sigh, staring at his covers as well. He really didn't know what to say. He knew he had no excuse for his actions but at the same time there was no other excuse except that he had been occupied with a student.

"Tsunade I…I was distracted and I let my guard down. I know that a person of my rank should no better and I did but…"

"I don't want to hear anymore." She let out a sigh as she stared at the snowy haired jonin. "I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later." Kakashi's head snapped up as he eyed the hokage with a look of bewilderment. "Don't give me that look Kakashi. You and Hinata. Need I say more?"

"But…it's not even like…but how did you…how would you…?"

"You men are all the same. Blind. I've known for a while now about the child's feelings for you. Though she may have had strong feelings for Naruto as well, you were the only person that actually paid attention to her…next to Neji of course. Then again, she never pays him any attention whatsoever but I think that's partly due to her being afraid of him. It's kind of sad really. But he'd be better off gay. He's much too pretty…"

"Lady Tsunade, I uh…I get your point."

"Oh yeah. Sorry. So…you let your feelings get the best of you during a mission and you've managed to fuck up. Of all the fuck ups to come along this year, this is by far the worse since the Chunin Exams a few years ago. You any idea what the kyuubi…?"

"Cut him a break," Sasuke snapped. "It couldn't be helped. He…It was either that or lose all of us."

"What do you mean lose _all_ of you?"

"Orochimaru and Kabuto were there as well," Kakashi said softly. "Kabuto took Hinata and attempted a trade for Sasuke but I lost my temper. As you know, I already can't stand that show-offy little brat and then Itachi came along and just made matters worse. I'll get them back Tsunade. You have my word."

"That Orochimaru! I wish I could find him and just finish him off. Despite what Jiraiya says, there's no hope for any good to come out of Orochimaru. I swear if I ever find that snake I'll kill him without thinking twice!" She punched the nearest wall which left a huge hold in it. "Oh damn," she muttered.

"How soon can we get out of here?" Sasuke asked.

"I…uh…why?"

"Just please. I need to know!"

"A few days. Kakashi will need three to four and since you can't leave the village alone, the same applies to you as well."

"DAMMIT! THAT'S…WE HAVE TO LEAVE SOONER THAN THAT! HAVE YOU ANY IDEA WHAT HE'LL DO TO HIM?! I WON'T LET HIM TAKE NARUTO! HE'S TAKEN EVERYTHING I EVER LOVED FROM ME BUT I WON'T LET HIM HAVE NARUTO! I'LL GIVE MY BODY TO OROCHIMARU IF I HAVE TO BUT…"

"Sasuke get a grip will you?! If you try to go after Itachi now, you'll only end up getting him killed faster. Besides, I don't think they'll start the extraction just yet. Plus, I was told it took precisely three days to extract the bijuu from Gaara. That gives you just enough time to get to him."

"But Lady Hokage…"

"No Sasuke. You'll wait with Kakashi until you're healed. Pakkun and the other dogs have already given us Itachi's whereabouts and I highly doubt he's leaving the area anytime soon. That cocky bastard just knows he's gotten away with Naruto, but you'll get him back. Somehow you'll get both of them back."

Sasuke cursed softly then fell back against the pillows angrily. He turned to face the wall so that no one could see his tears. _I'm such a fool. I don't know what it is I feel for Naruto but I just shouted to the world that I love him. Maybe I do love him. Yeah, I do love him and I miss him. He's all I got left and I'll be damned if I let that sick bastard take him away from me. Naruto…God Naruto I love you…hang in there. I promise, no…I SWEAR I'll come for you…even if it costs me my life…_

Kakashi closed his eyes trying to drift off to sleep but it was no use. An eerie feeling had come over him and he was certain that he knew why. _In exactly three or four days, I might lose my life._ Thoughts like this had never scared him before in his life. Ever since the fall of his comrades, he'd trained himself to never fear death. That was because he was always willing to give up his life to save another. That was his ninja way and that was alright with him. He never thought he'd actually see the day when he'd come to fear death. It wasn't that he was afraid of dying. If you were a ninja afraid of dying then you were in the wrong profession. _Ninjas die everyday but that's just how it goes._ No. This time, his fear of death had been triggered by the sweet taste of happiness that he'd received within the last couple of days.

He had always considered himself to be pretty happy. He had very few worries and he never bothered with idea of love. All that had changed now. A cute, barely legal shinobi princess had thrown all of that out of the window. She had shown him in the last few hours or so that it was possible to find true love and that it was okay to take risks. The shyest woman in the entire village had given him a glimpse into the world of the true love with a taste of happiness and just that small taste had left him longing for more. Longing to hear more of her cute giggles when he teased her spine. Longing to hold her close and whisper words of comfort when she was sad. Longing to kiss her goodnight and longing to be at her side when she awakened. Part of that dream he knew he could make come true but every chance at happiness came with a price. The price for the Hyuuga princess was more than he could ever bargain for. _I love her. I just know that I love her but would he understand? Is it worth the risk? This is the one time I feel like I can be happy for a lifetime but…_

"I'd give it all up if it means saving your life. I'd give up my life and forget I ever loved you if that's the way he wants it," he whispered. _But for the first time in my life, I am going to take that risk. I want this. I want this happiness for the both of us but more importantly I want you to be happy princess and I swear…I swear I'll do whatever it takes to see to it._

* * *

**AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Will update again eventually.**


	18. Hestitation and Questionable Intentions

**AN: Alright. Sorry about the long delay but it couldn't be helped. Okay. So I want all of you to add me to your myspace, youtube, livejournal...i don't care. I'd like to know my readers. Secondly, don't expect to many more chapters. I plan to finish this one soon. It probably will have a cliffhanger of an ending which would set up for a sequel but it can't be helped. I am working on way too many stories. Also, if you have the time, check out my new story called 'Nightwish'. It's a highschool vamp fic but it's different and you may even enjoy it. Plus, I need comments so I can decided whether or not to continue it. Let's see...I wish I had a man with Dan Green's Yami Yugi voice but that's a personal problem...-sigh-...And the story continues...**

* * *

Hinata jumped when the door opened again. This time it was Itachi. _Oh God…He looks just like Sasuke. Is he…?_

"Hey little lady. Do I frighten you?" He walked over to Hinata, who was now leaning back against the headboard frightened to death. Itachi clasped her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. "You really are pretty…for a girl. I can see why he loves you so much but that's neither here nor there. I bet you're wondering why I brought you along instead of just taking the kit?" Hinata didn't answer. She was too afraid to do anything much less utter a word. "Well…aren't you going to answer me?" Hinata's eyes went wide with fright but she managed to nod her head instead. "Like a nice little girl."

Itachi released her and sat down on the edge of the bed next to her. He looked over at her, his face cold and emotionless as usual. "You know, I really have no idea why I kidnapped you. I suppose I brought you along because I was curious about you. As for the kit, I have every intention of making his life miserable. I thought about raping him…" At this, Hinata gasped but she quickly regrouped out of fear, clasping her hand over her mouth. "But I dunno. I know it would piss little brother off, especially if he's a tender little virgin uke. Oh well…"

He reached over and placed a hand on the side of Hinata's face, cupping one side of it. She could not stop the tears from falling down her face. "Oh come now princess. Is that what he calls you?" he asked softly. He ran his hand along side her jaw and then her neckline. "As long as you behave yourself, I have no intention of hurting you. I have no idea why Orochimaru wanted you but because I don't like him, I decided that was good enough reason to bring you along. You could say I even saved your life. He was probably trying to trade you for my little brother with every intention of keeping you as well." Itachi stood up and started for the door. "Kisame will bring you something to eat in a few, but remember to behave yourself. If you try and escape, I won't hesitate to hurt you." He left the room without another word. When he was long gone, Hinata let out a sigh of relief. _Uchiha…Itachi. He's really scary. Handsome…but scary._ She got off the bed and started across the room to the window. _It's a beautiful day…I wonder how Kakashi sensei is doing…_Just the thought of Kakashi made her eyes tear up. _I'd do anything just to see him again…_

**--xx--**

Naruto was terribly uncomfortable lying chained to the bed. He'd been stuck that way for several hours and he was pissed. It wasn't like he was going to try and escape. He knew better. Plus, Itachi kept letting Kisame eat his fill of his chakra so relying on the kyuubi for help was pretty much out of the question. He let out a sigh just as the door of his room opened up. It was Itachi, looking evil as ever. As much as Naruto wanted to lash out at him, he couldn't, not if he wanted to live to see his friends again. Itachi smirked as he glided across the room towards the bed.

"How's my little kyuubi doing this morning?"

"I wouldn't know," Naruto grumbled. He turned and faced the wall, not wanting to meet the Uchiha's gaze. People who looked directly into his eyes always ended up in the hospital for days. Without a hospital around, he knew he needed to avoid that if he could help it.

"Oh come now Naruto. Be a little bit nicer to me. It's not like I've tried to take your little fox friend just yet and I'm being extra nice to the Hyuuga girl. I think you better behave or else I'll hurt her instead of you." Naruto turned his head to face the Uchiha, mumbling an apology under his breath. "Like a good little boy." Itachi stood over him and started unbuttoning his shirt. "I bet you are burning up under there. Let me help you out." Naruto watched as the elder Uchiha unbuttoned his shirt. He opened it wide revealing nice lean abs. He placed a hand on Naruto's bare chest and began ghosting his hand across it. Naruto bit his lip to keep from lashing out at him. He did not wish to be touched by Itachi and it was driving him crazy. After a while though, Itachi's caressing started to feel good which only angered him even more.

"I…Itachi…"

"No talking little one. I'd hate to scar up your pretty little torso." Itachi leaned over and flicked his tongue across the blonde's nipple. Naruto bit down harder on his lip, not wanting to lash out at him. _I can't…he can't…_Itachi bit down on his nipple drawing a small cry from the blonde. Itachi's hand reached for the other nipple pinching it lightly as he sucked harder on the other one. Naruto squirmed and squirmed wishing he could make it stop but it was no use. Itachi only chuckled before getting onto the bed straddling the young blonde.

"You know Naruto, I told the pretty little Hyuuga girl that I wanted to rape you." At this, the blonde's eyes went wide with fright. _R…Rape?_ He closed his eyes tightly preparing for whatever was to come but to his surprise, nothing happened. He opened his eyes and Itachi crawled off of him and started back for the door.

"I'm sure you're wanting to get out of those chains. Behave yourself when I return and I'll consider taking them off." Naruto let out a sigh of relief when the elder Uchiha left the room. _What the heck was that all about? He didn't rape me…but why? _

"Well, at least I'm not sweating as much anymore." He looked towards the wall and images of Sasuke flashed across his mind. _Sasuke…when will you come for me? Or…are you coming for me? Are you even thinking about me?_ The blonde closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, his mind clouded with thoughts of his best friend.

**--xx--**

Sasuke continued to pace around the hospital room, furious at the hokage. _What is she playing at? I need to go look for Naruto._ Sasuke stopped pacing long enough to cast a quick glance towards Kakashi's bed. He seemed to be sound asleep. Sasuke crept towards the door and quietly turned the handle.

"Don't even think about it Sasuke. You still have at least another day before you can go looking for Naruto so get back in bed."

"BUT I CAN'T! I NEED TO FIND…"

"And I need to find the both of them. As team leader, I am primarily responsible for this mess, not to mention we still haven't found the little girl that went missing. Look, I'm as pissed off about this as you are but we're not going to accomplish anything if we bust up in there hurt like this. We'll only get killed and that will defeat the purpose of us going to rescue them. Besides, Naruto's a strong kid. You know he'd never give up and he'd look after Hinata as well, which is why I'm not worrying so much."

"But…my brother…what if…I don't want him to hurt either of them."

"Yeah well you need to have a little more faith Sasuke. They are both capable ninja. I know your brother has a bit of a temper problem…"

"A _bit_?"

"Ok. He has a huge temper problem but…I have faith that they'll be ok…as long as they don't do or say anything stupid."

"That's what I'm afraid of," he grumbled. _Naruto…please behave. The thought of him touching you…I can't bare it…_Kakashi shook his head and laid back down against the sheets. He missed them both very much, especially his princess, but there was nothing he could do right now. All he could do is hope for the best. He was fairly certain that Naruto was in the most danger as Itachi had never really showed any interest in women…or maybe he had a bad experience with one and just never went back. Either way, Naruto was the more likely to get raped. _I feel for Sasuke…_

The rest of the day went by in a blur. Sakura came by several times to examine them both. She attempted to make small talk with Sasuke but he only ignored her almost bringing her to tears. After dinner, Lady Tsunade came by to examine them her ownself.

"Ahh well Sasuke, you look pretty good. Kakashi, you could do with another day of rest but if you want to, you're free to leave in the morning. However, there's no point in you looking for Itachi."

"Why's that?" he asked.

"No one has been able to catch a trace of him since the incident. It's like he's disappeared from the earth. Of course, I expected this. He is after all apart of the Akatsuki. They are really hard to track."

"DAMMIT!" Sasuke yelled. He sat up on the bed folding is arms across his chest, his lips poked out as well.

"Are you…sulking?" she asked with a grin.

"No," he grumbled.

"Uh…right. But uh…the good news is that Gaara has agreed to search the area for him. He's not busy and he says he owes Naruto one. If he can find them and get back with us, we'll be able to rescue them without any problems."

"Great."

"Can I go now?" Sasuke asked.

"Um…yeah but if you try and leave the village, I'll put you on chains and a leash. You understand me?"

"Yeah yeah," he grumbled. He grabbed his headband and hurried out the door._ I'm coming for you Naruto. Just hang on for one more day…_

**--xx--**

Guy sat on his bed staring down at the floor. He'd heard about what happened to Hinata and Naruto and it made him sad. He went by to see Kakashi when he was first brought to the hospital and they'd had a long talk. He could tell after talking with him just how much in love he really was…

"_Guy. What brings you by?"_

"_I had to come see how many days I'd have to wait before our next rematch. How are you buddy?"_

"_I'm…ok I guess."_

"_I see. You're upset."_

"_Yeah I am. Actually I'm pretty damn pissed. I can't believe I let that show-offy brat get me so worked up that I couldn't concentrate."_

"_You can't keep blaming yourself Kakashi. It's really not your fault."_

"_But Guy, I was sitting in the tree with Hinata. We were…I was aroused and I wanted to….you know and by the time I realized there were other ninja around, it was too late. I shouldn't have…"_

"_You love the girl Kakashi."_

"_Huh? What makes you think…?"_

"_Because in all the years we've been friends, never once have you let your guard down this much. It takes me forever to find an opening when we're fighting and I've never, __**ever**__ been able to sneak up on you. You love her and that's alright. I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later."_

"_What do I do Guy? You know I can't really be with her."_

"_I…I wish I knew…"_

"Guy? Guy sensei?" Guy looked up to see Tenten standing at his bedroom door. She was wearing a tank and some overly large pajama pants.

"How'd you…?"

"You left the front door open and I just came right in. Look sensei, I'm sorry for just barging right in but…I haven't seen you all week and I was worried. Please…I just wanted to make sure you were alright and…"

"Tenten."

"Yes?"

"You don't have to explain. I'm…glad you dropped by." She smiled happily before skipping across the room. She took a seat on the edge of the bed next to him, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"What's wrong sensei? You look so sad. I've seen you sad before but…never like this."

"I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

"Life. I went by to see Kakashi and Sasuke at the hospital. Both are doing fairly well but…it just made me think about my own life. Life's a precious thing that shouldn't be taken for granted. That being said, I need to start enjoying life."

"I know! Neji and I have been trying to tell you this for ages!"

"Yeah but…all I know how to do is be a shinobi. Everything else is kind of hard."

"What about love?" she asked softly. She pulled away and they both just sat their silently, neither one knowing quite what to say. Love. Love was definitely something Guy had a hard time following. The last time he even thought to utter the word love was when he finally got his team of ninjas to train. He loved them with all his heart but romantic love was another story.

"I don't know Tenten. Kakashi…has fallen in love and it's made him…not necessarily weak but he's a different person now and it makes me feel lonelier than ever."

"Then you should find you someone so that you don't have to be alone."

"But I can't. I just can't."

"Why not?"

"I just…"

"I think you're afraid."

"What? _Me?_ Afraid?" he asked, feeling quite indignant at this point.

"Yes. You're afraid to love me and you're afraid to love anybody. You're just…afraid and I think that's a shame."

"I'm…I'M NOT AFRAID!" he snapped. He stood to his feet and started for the door but Tenten ran behind him, throwing her arms around his waist, pressing her body to his.

"Please. I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you angry I just…I love you so much and I just want you to be happy. If it means falling in love with someone else for you to be happy then please do it. I can't bear to see you like this and the thought of you being alone…I hate it." Tenten was at the verge of tears, making Guy's heart stop. _Is it possible that she really, really cares for me? _He slowly turned to face her and saw that she was indeed crying. There was none of this playful bashing or her teasing hand gestures. She was staring up at him with a determined, confident look that was filled with sadness, a sadness that touched Guy's heart.

"Tenten…why…why are you crying?" he asked. He cupped one side of her face and her eyes closed immediately. She rubbed her head against his palm, masking in the warm feel of his hand on her cheek.

"I already told you sensei. I love you." His other hand reached up and lightly brushed her shoulder making her shudder.

"Oh Tenten…I…"

"Make love to me sensei," she whispered. The command took him off guard and he was rendered speechless. _I can't make love to her! I…That would be…_Tenten kissed his wrist and started licking and nipping at his hand.

"T…Tenten…" She grabbed his hand and pulled him with her towards the bed. Guy wanted to stay put but his body just moved obediently for some odd reason. She sat down on the bed and pulled him down with her. His body rested comfortably on top of hers while his mind just continued to run wild with thoughts. _I can't…what am I doing? This is wrong…_

"Sensei?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't think. Now kiss me." She nipped at his earlobe playfully but he still wouldn't oblige. She finally got irritated and decided to initiate the kiss herself. She cupped his face and pulled him down, forcing his lips on hers. She licked and suckled his bottom lip playfully and after a while he began to respond. He kissed her back hungrily letting his hands creep up her arms, entangling their fingers above her head.

"Mmm…Tenten…" _This feeling…what is it?_

"Don't stop," she managed. His lips left her own only to find and taste the tender flesh at the nape of her neck. He bit down gently, sucking and tasting the sweetness he's always wanted to taste. He listened to Tenten as she whimpered and moaned and was almost convinced she really wanted him. He sat up and grabbed her shirt ripping it apart to reveal nothing but skin underneath. His eyes went wide with hunger as he stared down at the two perfectly erect nipples. Without giving it a second thought, he dipped his head low capturing one of her perfect nipples in his mouth, sucking it until it was raw. She twisted and moaned at the feel of his lips while she experienced a familiar tingle in her lower abdomen.

"Guy sensei…please…" He reached up and squeezed her other perfect breast then used his tongue to trail a path down to her tummy. He licked around her tummy, every now and then dipping his tongue in her naval making her giggle. He smirked as he reached up and grabbed the sides of her pants, yanking them off in one go. For some reason, it did not surprise him that she wasn't wearing anything underneath. _That Tenten…_He smiled as got down on his knees positioning himself between her legs. He grabbed her thighs inching her closer so he could bury himself into her.

"G…Guy sensei…" He licked up and down her sex playfully before probing inside of her with his tongue. The action made Tenten's hips buckle and she arched her back crying out his name. She gripped the sheets, moaning, whimpering, purring at the wonderful sensation that was overcoming her. Her orgasm hit seconds later and her body released almost violently. Guy stood up and rid himself of his boxers before crawling back on top of her, positioning himself between her legs.

"Tenten…I…are you sure about this?" She reached up and kissed his lips.

"Of course. I want you more than anything else in this world." She wrapped her legs around his waist, encouraging him to enter. Without another thought, he thrust inside of her full of intensity. She dug her nails into his back crying out loudly. He looked down and saw that she had tears in her eyes and a cold feeling crept over him. _I…she's a…_

"Tenten! I…I'm sorry. I thought you and Neji…"

"No. Neji and I never went all the way. He always knew that I had a thing for you and well…he's either in love with his cousin or gay. But don't worry about that now. Please…don't stop. I want you so badly," she pleaded.

"But…"

"It'll get better. I know it will." She wrapped her legs tighter around his waist and he started his assault all over again. From there, it was nothing but pure magic. With every thrust, she arched her back urging him to plunge deeper into her world. Bodies clinging to one another, hot and slick with the sweat from their lovemaking, they danced a dance of lovers. One…two…three thrusts later and they both cried out from a powerful release that was the result of weeks of built up tension. Guy just laid there on top of Tenten, motionless listening to the sound of her heartbeat. He was spent but he was feeling much better, the best he'd felt in weeks. He let his hands slide up to find her hands entwining their fingers together. His were much larger than hers and a lot rougher as well.

"Tenten?"

"Hmm?"

"Why do you love me so much?"

"Why shouldn't I love you so much?" The answer caught him off guard and he really didn't know how to respond. Tenten placed a hand on his head, playing with the strands of his hair. "I say that sensei because you are perfect in every way. To others, you may be seen as a goofy overachiever with a bad sense of style, but when I look at you, I see a handsome, hardworking man who'd do anything in the world for anybody. I love everything about you. Your goofiness, your work ethic, though I could probably do without all the running. And I even love the way you and Lee get all sensitive and cry all of the time. It's cute," she giggled.

"Tenten, you know that I am older than you and I'm not really supposed to be with you. I…I do care about you Tenten. I may even love you but the fact is what would Lady Hokage say about this?"

"She'd have to get over it because I'm not leaving you. I love you too much to just let you go."

"But…"

"Go to sleep Guy." She planted a kiss on the top of his head and they both laid there silently, listening to each other's heartbeats as they drifted off to a sweet sleep.

--xx--

Itachi sat on his bed staring into nothingness. His mind was racing with thoughts that were very uncommon to him. _Why didn't I rape him and why did I let that little girl get to me? I must be losing my touch._ Itachi let out a sigh as he laid back against his cool sheets. He had the kit and though he was supposed to take him to the Akatsuki hideout, he was very hesitant about doing it. _Maybe it's because I really hate being ordered around. Or maybe…maybe I'm just curious about them._ Whatever the case, Itachi hoped the spell would soon pass. He had only two goals in life, to obtain unstoppable power and to destroy his younger brother but even that sounded dull at the moment. He closed his eyes preparing for sleep. _Maybe…just maybe things will become clearer tomorrow…_


	19. Questions and Bonds: An Impulsive Act

Itachi woke up in the middle of the night feeling blah. He could not sleep at all because of his dreams about his past. He could still hear the screams of the people he killed ringing in his ears even though most of the people he had managed to kill without them ever knowing. Still…this bothered Itachi somewhat because never in all his life had he dreamed about that grand day; the day he made a believer out of everyone.

He shuffled across the room and headed out the door. He had no idea where he was going but his body just moved anyway. He needed to get out of that room and go somewhere…anywhere to see if he could make sense of these changes. He'd been feeling like this for several weeks now and just recently the thought of killing his younger brother sounded boring. He stopped suddenly at a door. Turning the knob slowly, he entered the room. There was Hinata curled up on the bed sound asleep. Though she was sound asleep, there were hints in her facial expression of discomfort and worry. She was frowning slightly and every now and then she'd twitch. Tiny whimpers escaped her throat and Itachi wondered whether or not she was having a bad dream. He shut the door and quietly ghosted across the room taking a seat on the bed. He leaned over and got the hair out of her face before placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She stirred in her sleep but she did not wake. She muttered something incoherent before rolling over to face the wall. Itachi couldn't help but wonder what was worrying her so.

A part of him knew that he probably had a lot to do with it. By taking her away from Kakashi he knew now that he'd caused her great ill, but _why does it matter?_ Why did it matter all of a sudden? Normally things like this never even crossed his mind. Crying women were usually put out of their misery by Kisame and as cruel as it sounded, it wasn't really cruel at all. A young woman who was witness to her entire family being killed was probably much better off dead than alive. Some would even beg to die. And so…he obliged. He laid down flat on his back next to Hinata and just listened to the sound of her breathing. It was comforting in a way he never thought possible. Maybe it was because it had been so long since he'd heard the sound of breathing besides his own…or Sasuke's. Hinata cried out in her sleep again making him jump. He leaned over and shook her lightly.

"Hinata?" She rolled over to face him. Her eyes were barely open and she mumbled something else that sounded like 'good night'. Then she scooted closer burring her head in his chest. Itachi gasped at the sudden intimacy. The warmth she brought to his body was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. He normally paid no heed to any women as he preferred the latter sex, but for one night his body and mind decided to go with the flow. He turned to his side, throwing an arm around her. After a while, he noticed her body was no longer twitching and she was no longer talking in her sleep. Soon the sound of her light breathing and the feel of her warm breath on his chest made him go right on to sleep.

**X-X**

Kakashi woke up and let out a sigh. Today was the day he was to be released from the hospital but judging by the look on his superior's face, she was ready to scold him for no good reason.

"Alright Lord Hokage. Let me have it."

"Oh Jiraiya and I aren't here to badger you. Well…okay. Maybe **HE** was here to let you have it but we just wanted to give you a quick briefing."

"Alright. What's up?"

"Well, Jiraiya got back to the village yesterday and he has some news about the Akatsuki."

"Yeah. As you know I've been trying to keep an eye on them. Well…I haven't seen Itachi or his friend Kisame in a while but then Lady Tsunade here explained to me about the incident."

"Oh don't remind me," he groaned.

"I'm sorry about Hinata and Naruto. I know that they are both very capable shinobi. Besides, you forget that the idiot was being trained by me. I'm sure they're alright."

"Unless they're already sucking the bijuu out of him," Kakashi grumbled.

"Ahh but see that's what I wanted to tell you. I don't think the Akatsuki have Naruto."

"Huh? But he was taken by Itachi. There's no way in hell they got away that easily."

"Yeah I hear ya but…Maybe they're still with Itachi but the others don't know about it just yet."

"Are…are you sure?" Kakashi asked. _This may be my blessing…_

"Yeah I'm quite sure. In fact, none of them have any idea where he's located. They all have some kind of locator ring that's activated by running chakra through it. From what I hear, Itachi hasn't been wearing his ring and neither has Kisame."

"Could this mean trouble in paradise?" Tsunade asked.

"I don't know but it _is_ kind of strange. Itachi has been down with the Akatsuki since he was fifteen so for him to just rebel as it sounds is truly remarkable," Jiraiya noted.

"Yeah but just because he hasn't handed Naruto over yet doesn't mean anything," Kakashi added. "I've faced this guy in combat before and I can assure you it's not because he's had a change of heart. The guy's a cold hearted lunatic."

"That's what everyone thinks about Orochimaru, but I know differently," Tsunade said softly. The two men just stared at her curiously with their mouths wide open.

"Tsunade? Is there…something we should know?" Jiraiya asked. His voice was a little higher pitched and he was doing nothing to hide his jealously. Tsunade only shrugged.

"No, there's nothing you need to know. I'm just saying…Orochimaru is just an ambitious, powerful shinobi who doesn't know when to quit. He also hates losing so when people tell him he can't do something he goes out of his way to prove them wrong."

"A lot of compliments for someone who tried to kill me two years ago," Jiraiya grumbled.

"Oh please. He'd never kill you and you know it. He needs you to take care of his pest problem in the Akatsuki first," she snapped. "Besides you two are like Sasuke and Naruto…but not really," she added thoughtfully.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he snapped.

"Are you gay?" she challenged.

"WHAT?! NARUTO'S GAY?!"

"Um…I don't mean to be rude but can the two of you focus. I need to get Naruto back before Sasuke decides to take matters into his own hands. I also need to get Hinata back before the Hyuuga's put a hit out on me."

"Oh…yeah…about that. Um…Hiashi's not very happy with you. Although Hinata's never been on top of his list of worries, she **IS** heir to the Hyuuga throne," Tsunade scolded.

"Oh damn. You sure do have a nice way of comforting people."

"Don't worry about it Kakashi. Besides, I'm planning to go with you and Sasuke to look for Hinata. Gaara and Temari are already out searching the area. I figured you'd be leaving soon since Sasuke's driving everyone crazy."

"Uh…yeah. Um…I'm going to shower and change then I'll meet you at the gate in an hour. Get Sasuke for me will ya?"

"Don't worry. He was at the gate four hours ago. I highly doubt he slept a wink last night."

"Me too."

**X-X**

When Hinata woke up, she felt better than she had in days. She was also warmer than usual. _Odd…_ She lifted her head and realized that she was not alone. _Who is this?_ He finally opened his eyes and met her gaze. Both just froze on the spot staring at one another. Hinata's calm gaze suddenly turned fearful. Itachi reached out to touch her cheek but she closed her eyes tightly frightened to death. She stayed like that for several seconds waiting for something to happen but it did not. She slowly opened her eyes again and found the elder Uchiha staring down at the floor.

"I see you are terribly frightened of me yet you do not know me very well. Why is that Hinata?" _Is he really asking me this question?_ Hinata looked away from him and thought about his question. Why _**was**_ she frightened of him? It was the kind of question that would catch anyone off guard, especially if deep down there was truth to it…and it was. She really _didn't_ know Itachi and all yet when she first laid eyes on him she found him terrifying. Then there were his eyes; so cold and full of nothing. The cold eyes were certainly something that she'd grown accustomed to over the years. Never once had her father looked upon her with love. There were only cold, emotionless eyes full of retribution. _'You must be strong for the clan'…_ Neji's eyes were the same way until he fought Naruto at the Chunin Exams. Now every time he looked at her, she was pretty sure that she sensed something caring about them though she was still too afraid to approach him and find out.

She turned her head and faced Itachi. Though she could not see his eyes, she could tell by the way he was sitting that he was troubled; possibly lonely yet for someone like him she supposed it would be hard to find time to fill that loneliness with a companion of some sort. So why exactly was she afraid of him since he had the same eyes as the father she's loved all her life? She let out a deep breath and somehow found her voice to speak.

"I…guess I'm afraid of you…because…I have been taught to fear…you," she squeaked. He looked up at her suddenly feeling just a little taken back by her words. The question he'd asked was meant to be more or less rhetorical since he never imagined that she'd answer but…he was glad that she did.

"I see," he said softly.

"I…your eyes…I guess…would be the other reason," she whispered. He stared at her curiously unaware that his sharingan eyes were flashing. They were more or less flashing because of the strange emotions he was trying to battle. Hinata's eyes went wide with fright and he quickly turned away. He stood to his feet and left the room without another word. Hinata let out that huge breath she had been holding and fell back onto the bed. Just another day in paradise…

**x-x**

Sasuke sat on a tree branch that was hovered over the village gate playing with his kunai. He'd been there for quite sometime since sleeping had been impossible the night before. All he could think about was Naruto being touched by that bastard of a brother of his and it made his blood boil. It probably wouldn't have bothered him this much had he not just recently realized how much the idiot meant to him. The first time he parted ways with Naruto was to get some training from that freak Orochimaru. Naruto sacrificed body and mind to get him back because he cared for him. However, the first few times it did not work. He didn't realize how much he cared and missed him until he had heard that Naruto was dead.

He could remember that day like it was yesterday. He'd heard that the Leaf Village was being attacked by some nearby village who had their own bijuu. It was a black bear and it was huge. Somehow the bear got loose and Naruto was stuck fighting him while everyone else did what they could to protect the villagers. During that battle, he had to use that fox's cloak but it was no use. He was bitten in the side by the bear, his ribs cracking from the pressure of its jaws. One of his arms had been broken and he was bleeding to death from the bite marks. Kabuto had been sent by Lord Orochimaru to watch for an opportunity to go in for the kill. He returned sometime later with news that the Leaf Village had prevailed but that the kyuubi was found dead. The news came to as a shock to him.

He knew he'd tried to kill Naruto on many occasions but he'd never actually succeeded. For someone else to just bust in the Leaf Village and kill his ex best friend was just unimaginable. He had to see for himself. He took off from the hideout at full speed for the Leaf Village. No longer was he concerned about killing his brother nor did he care about being killed for treason. He needed to see Naruto. He had to prove Kabuto wrong because deep down he knew Naruto was a survivor. He didn't have to worry about being stopped at the gate. When he got there, most of the shinobi were still fighting the enemy while Ino was hovered over Naruto, crying in the palm of her hands. Sasuke landed and broke into a run towards them. It was raining and so his foot steps were heard because of the splashing. Ino looked up but to his surprise she didn't react. She stared up at him sadly before running off. Sasuke just stared down at the lifeless body of his friend in disbelief. Naruto? Dead? No way…

**flashback**

"Naruto…NARUTO!" He dropped to his knees and examined his friend, his crying becoming more hysterical with each passing second. His hands were now covered in blood and he was beginning to shake. "NARUTO PLEASE! DON'T DIE ON ME!" He quickly ripped the blonde's jacket off revealing the pale skin of his chest. There were deep scratches along it and some were still bleeding. "DAMMIT KYUUBI! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HIM!" he screamed. He placed his head over his chest listening for a heartbeat but he heard nothing.

"Oh…oh God…" he cried. He pinched the blonde's nose and covered his mouth blowing air into his lungs. Then he pressed his stomach several times before repeating the process. Still nothing. He did this for at least twenty minutes never aware that he was now surrounded by several leaf shinobi. All of them were watching him sadly as he fought to bring the blonde back. No one gave a second thought to the fact that he was a wanted ninja. They only saw him as a comrade fighting for another comrade and the entire scene had many of them in tears.

Fifteen…twenty minutes later and Sasuke broke down. He grabbed his blonde friend pulling him close, clinging to him like a blanket as the rain drenched their blood stained bodies. No one said anything. No one bothered to tell him to leave. They just watched the heart-wrenching scene before them praying silently to the heavens to bring the blonde back. All was eerily silent except for the rain splattering to the earth. Sasuke slowly removed the blonde's headband and stared at it. There was a single scratch on it from their first big fight. He kissed the headband before tying it around his forehead.

A cough…sputter…more coughing…Sasuke's body just froze. Eyes fluttered opened to reveal beautiful, sparkling blue eyes he thought he'd never see again.

"Sa…Sasuke?" Sasuke was too shocked to speak. _Naruto?_ He just stared down at his friend getting lost in those blue eyes of his. Naruto reached up and touched his forehead protector before smiling. "I've…missed you…Sasuke, but you're…a little late…second best…" he managed before passing out again.

Sasuke never left the village after that day. He stayed in the Leaf Village and did everything he could to help out. Naruto was in the hospital for almost a month. Even with the kyuubi's healing powers, they were not enough to heal Naruto on its own. That bear had done serious damage to his body rendering him from any outside activity. Sasuke visited him everyday and for the first week, he stayed the night with him. Everytime Naruto opened his eyes, he was there. He wanted to be the one Naruto woke up to everyday. A part of it was guilt. Another part was loyalty but now he knew that it was mostly out of love. He had always loved Naruto but it took a freak accident and a kidnapping to make him realize it. He hadn't been treating the blonde very nice lately but he promised himself that if he could get him back from his brother, things would be a lot different than before.

**sasuke**

"HEY SASUKE! YOU READY?" He looked down to see Master Jiraiya and Kakashi heading out of the gate.

"You have no idea," he grinned.

**X-X-X-X-X**

Itachi headed straight for Naruto's room. Hinata had him all mixed up and hopefully arguing with the blonde would help him make sense of things. He turned the knob and entered the room. Naruto was still sleeping but he figured he would be. After all it was still pretty early. He stopped short of the bed and frowned. Unlike Hinata, Naruto was sleeping peacefully as if he hadn't a care in the world, which immediately struck him as odd. How could anyone sleep soundly in a situation like this? Itachi approached the chair next to the bed and just took a seat. He decided to let the blonde sleep instead of awakening. Besides, the fact that Naruto was sound asleep seemed to calm his already bad nerves. Hinata…afraid…Naruto…unconcerned. Was Naruto sound asleep because he wasn't the least bit afraid of him? No, don't be silly Itachi. The boy was frightened to death when you touched him the last time… But why was he sleeping so peacefully? A few minutes later the blonde began to stir. His eyes fluttered open and he grumbled.

"Dammit. It was all a dream."

"Good morning Naruto." Naruto's body just froze at the sound of that cold, emotionless voice. He turned his head slowly and found himself face to face with the older Uchiha.

"Uh…"

"I know this comes as quite the shock to you but I'm just as shocked as you are. I woke up not too long ago after sleeping with Hinata."

"You did WHAT?! HAVE YOU ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE?! SHE'S…SHE'S LIKE ROYALTY AND…"

"I'm not having a very good morning Naruto so it would be in your best interest to calm down." The kit decided to shut up because there something menacing about the way the words rolled off Itachi's tongue. It was enough to make anyone fearful for their life. "Now then. I did not sleep with her in the way that you think. I just…slept next to her. Believe it or not, I did it because she was having a bad dream."

"Wha…what?" _Itachi…bad dream…being nice?_

"I figured this would shock you a little but it's part of the reason I came to talk with you."

"Talk…with…me?" he whimpered. _Ok. Now this guy is really starting to freak me out. Just what is his deal? He's usually threatening to kill me or do Hinata in but he's here to talk? Like we're friends? No wonder Sasuke used to worry about him all the time. He's got major issues!_

"Yes. Just talk. Like you would talk with my brother."

"Uh…I'm not…trying to piss you off or anything but um…" Itachi stood to his feet and started towards the bed. He reached in the pocket of his pajamas and pulled out a small key. He undid the latches around his arms that bound the kit to the bed but he left the ones on his legs.

"This should help you relax a little more." Naruto only frowned. _Relax he says. RELAX?! I'm not relaxed. I'm freaking terrified right now! _"Now then. Let's talk."

"Uh…ok but…you came here so…"

"I want to know why you slept so soundly last night."

"Huh? What kind of question is that?" Itachi glared at him with those cold eyes and Naruto squeaked. "Uh…you were serious? Well…um…I don't know why I slept so good."

"But you've been kidnapped and taken away from your loved ones. Doesn't that make you worry?"

"Aye, I do worry but not so much."

"Why is that?" _Odd. Why wouldn't he worry?_

"Well," he grinned. "I suppose it's cuz I know that my friends are alright. For instance, at this very moment I'm sure pervy sage and grandma Tsunade are doing everything they can to find us. Kakashi and Sasuke have probably been giving everyone hell the last few days because both of them can be hot heads. I have no reason to worry because my friends are strong and I know they'll come looking for me."

"I see." They were both silent for a moment before Itachi spoke again. "How can you be sure that they're really ok? And why is Hinata so much more afraid of me than you are?" This question really caught the kit off guard and he half wondered whether or not to take it seriously. The elder Uchiha looked up at him but something had changed about the way he looked. His eyes, they were still cold and cruel looking but there was something else there. There was a look that Naruto had no problem recognizing because he'd seen it so many times before. Gaara…Neji…Sora… _I understand now…_

"You can never be 100 percent sure that someone's ok but…sometimes when you really, really care deeply for someone, even when they are away you can feel their presence and then…if something bad happens to them, sometimes you'll get that feeling that something's wrong. I haven't had any bad feelings about Sasuke or any of the others but I know that they're alright because I can still feel them, even when I sleep. Knowing that they're ok allows me to forget about my problems because it could be worse. I could be…all alone and I know from experience that the worse feeling in the world is loneliness. That's a feeling I hope I never have to experience again," he ended softly. Both were silent for several seconds before Itachi spoke again, his voice barely audible.

"So…I suppose I can just assume that Hinata lacks the confidence that you have in your friends. Am I correct?"

"Well…Hinata's background is very similar to yours and Sasuke's I suppose."

"In what way?"

"Her father is the head of the most powerful clan in the Leaf Village. She was his first born which makes her next in line to lead the clan but…I don't think she really wants the job. Plus, her father spent years telling her she was weak and it shot her self esteem. While I know in my heart that she'd make a strong leader someday, I can't help but agree with Hinata that Neji would be better suited for the job but because he's just a lowly side branch cousin, the clan's elders wouldn't allow it anyway."

"I see."

Itachi turned away from Naruto and stared at the ground taking in all of this new information. Everything the kid said made some things a bit clearer for him. He could definitely relate to the princess. He could recall his father grooming him to lead the Uchiha clan someday but he hated it. He hated the early morning lectures. He hated the training. He hated it…all of it. There were days where all he wanted to do was go hang out with some friends but as time passed he knew friendship would have to wait. His little brother Sasuke tried so hard to be like him and he hated it. Some days he wished he could pull Sasuke aside and force him to go make friends and enjoy his youth but…somewhere down the line things went horribly wrong. He couldn't remember exactly what drove him to snap…but it happened and did he regret it? No…not really. If he had it to do over again he'd still kill every last one of those overbearing elders and their families. They took away his life and now all he knew was killing and power, but even as he sat their thinking about it, it still seemed boring and unappealing.

"I…Itachi?" He looked up at the blonde who'd whispered his name. He was staring at the covers with a sad expression on his face. "I…I know we're enemies and I know that once this is all over we'll be forced to fight each other but…I want you to know that right now you're not completely alone. You…you can always…talk with me because…even if I hated your guts I wouldn't wish loneliness on you. I believe everyone should have someone, even Orochimaru and…even you," he whispered. The elder Uchiha stood to his feet and quickly exited the room. He closed the door and just leaned against it, his breath coming in short spurts. He clasped his hands over his head and dropped to his knees. _What's wrong with me?_ Hopefully he'd find the answer soon.

* * *

**AN: Well…long delay but you got a decent length chapter as a reward. I have no idea when the next update will be. It all depends on how demanding my class schedule is. Also, just so you know this story will probably have a cliff hanger ending and some of you will hate it. I can't help it. I can never really 'end' a story so to speak just in case I get bored and think of a sequel. In the event that I do go with the cliff hanger, I am not planning to write a sequel. Honestly, I really don't have the time right now. Now about the update…I made Itachi a little OOC, but seriously, he'd be so boring if he was a cruel bastard all the time. And besides, I am convinced that deep down he just needs a therapist. No one is really ALL bad. They had to have been good at some point in their lives. Yes, he's bisexual. I honestly like Itachi better when he's gay but right now he's bi. And you know the ending that I had originally planned has just been thrown out the window. Expect a sticky end for someone…or some ones. I guess that's all. Review if you want. **


	20. Itachi's Loneliness and Naruto's Heart

**AN: Just a quick note. I have been doing my best to keep manga spoilers out of my stories because I know not everyone reads the manga. I myself used to refuse to read the manga until I realized that it's hard writing stories without the help of wikipedia. That being said, I came across spoilers on wikipedia one day so I ended up reading the entire manga. So...maybe their's a spoiler or two in the future or maybe not. I will never blatantly put manga spoilers in my fics. I just may play on the ones I know. But if you don't know or haven't the slightest idea what I'm talking about then don't worry. I haven't ruined anything for anyone. All of this is my doing. Now for those of you who DO read the manga, I have you to know that if a certain someone doesn't die in the end, I WILL kill that someone in several fics. That is all.**

* * *

Itachi stood to his feet shortly after and began pacing. It was getting harder and harder with each passing day to keep living the life he'd grown accustomed to since he was 14. _Why? Why now? Why did it have to happen now, especially now that I'm so close!_ Itachi leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. He was immediately hit with a flashback from his childhood. He was only ten years old but it was a conversation with his father that always seemed to give him mixed feelings when it crossed his mind.

**flashback**

Itachi watched his father closely as he prepared to toss the knives. His father leaped into the air and with both eyes closed, managed to hit six of the seven targets that were strategically placed on some trees in their training woods. Itachi smiled, his eyes wide with awe. _Father…He's so amazing!_

"Alright son. This is what I want you to do from now on when you have free time. I want you to practice as hard as you can to hit all seven targets."

"Hai! Yes father." A couple of guys ran past the training woods laughing and playing tag. Itachi watched with sad eyes as they ran on by without giving him a second thought.

"Itachi." Itachi was brought from his daze and he eyed his father humbly.

"Yes father?"

"You must not let what others are doing cloud your mind. They are out playing mindless games when they could be practicing to make the clan stronger and better. Someday Itachi, you will be the head of this family and this clan. It's up to you to be strong for them all. That is your purpose in life. To become the strongest Uchiha ever. Make that your nindo."

"Ye...yes father."

--

--

Father. Itachi let a cruel smile grace his lips. He was only ten and was as blind as Sasuke is today but he couldn't really blame anybody but himself. He was so caught up in being 'the perfect son' or 'the peacemaker' that he failed to realize how other families watched his own with malice or sheer terror. _I should have known then…but it's too late now._

**flashback**

"Itachi? Itachi, why won't you play with me anymore?" Sasuke sat down on the porch steps next to his older brother eyeing him sadly. Itachi knew that Sasuke was to the point of tears which is why he continued to sharpen his knives without looking up.

"As you can see little brother, I am getting ready for a very important mission."

"Oh. I get it. All of your missions are more important than me right?" he snapped.

"Sasuke…"

"It's true!" he yelled. "All of you treat me the same way! You all treat me as if I'm such a bother to you! You hate me! Even father…"

"Enough Sasuke!" Itachi slapped his brother across the face and he shut up. He looked away from Itachi holding the side of his swelling jaw. Itachi let out a sigh. He hated seeing Sasuke so miserable but he knew that Sasuke had the better life. Sure their father never paid Sasuke any attention but it was for his own good. Plus, Sasuke had friends – something Itachi could only dream of having. He also didn't have to carry a heavy burden of guilt and he would never have that burden. Never. Because Itachi was going to fix it that way. It was the least they could do especially since…

"Sasuke. Let me see your face." Sasuke obediently turned to look his brother in the eye. "Does it hurt little one?"

"No, not anymore. I'm sorry Itachi for yelling at you."

"No. Forgive me Sasuke." They both stared up at the sky. It was nearing sunset and Itachi knew he needed to get going soon. "Sasuke."

"Hmm?"

"I want you to dwell on the good times and remember the bad. The bad will make you stronger and the good will help you realize what you're truly fighting for. Never let selfishness or pride get in the way of what's right and always, always see with your heart and not with these eyes for these eyes have a tendency to deceive."

"But brother, I thought the Sharingan sees all? That's what father said." Itachi looked over at his brother and sighed. I can't expect him to understand now but maybe someday…

"Remember my words. Anyway, time for you to get back inside now. I have to get going."

"Ok. Bie big brother!" Itachi watched as his brother ran inside. A single tear rolled down his face before he disappeared into the night. _Yes. Good bye Sasuke._

--

--

Itachi didn't realize it but he had started pacing again and it was starting to worry his friend. Kisame stood at a distance as he cleared his throat. Itachi suddenly looked up frowning at his friend…or partner rather.

"What is it that you want Kisame?"

"Nothing. I just…you've been pacing for quite sometime now and I was beginning to worry."

"No need to worry about me Kisame. I'm fine. Just have some things on my mind that have been troubling me."

"Oh. I see. Well um…I have some…news."

"Oh?"

"Yeah um…it seems that a group from Konoha are nearby. According to my source, it's a team headed by the legendary sanin himself Jiraiya."

"Who else is with him?"

"Uh…Kakashi and that brat of a brother of yours." Itachi's eyes flashed dangerously and Kisame half wondered whether or not he should fear for his life.

"Is that all Kisame?"

"Uh…not really. I wanted to ask you…well, how long are we going to keep those kids captive? If we don't report back to the leader soon we're going to get…"

"Kisame, I know you don't think I'm afraid of Pein right?"

"Uh…well no but…"

"Then don't worry about it. I am apart of the Akatsuki true enough but I answer to absolutely nobody. Is that understood Kisame?"

"Hai!"

"Very good. Now go away. I need to think."

"Hai!"

When Kisame left, Itachi let out another sigh. Kisame knew something was up and that made Itachi feel slightly unsettled. He normally kept his uneasiness to himself but after being around those two kids for so long, he was starting to lose his cool. He knew Pein was going to get a bit suspicious if he didn't do something but quite frankly he was getting sick of Pein's stupid ambitions. _Damn him! I'll do whatever I want which means…_Itachi let out a loud laugh as he turned to face the kit's door. _I think I'll miss the kids when they're gone but, I have to do my duty despite how I might really feel._

**x-x-x**

Naruto sat on his bed staring out the window. It was beautiful day and how he longed to be out there doing some training. He thought about asking Itachi to let him train but he highly doubted the older Uchiha would let him. After all, there was a chance he could escape, especially if even one clone could be conjured. _But I'd never dream of running away especially knowing what I know about him. _Naruto sighed and leaned back against his pillow. Not even a second later his door was opening slowly. He sat up quickly as the older Uchiha guided closer to him. Itachi stopped near the edge of the bed and began unlatching the rest of the chains that held Naruto to the bed.

"I…Itachi! What are you doing?"

"I'm freeing you," he said flatly.

"Freeing me? Like…like I'll be free to go?"

"Yes. That's right." When Itachi undid the last of the chains, he moved away from the kit and sat down in the chair next to his bed. He looked down at the floor and let out a sigh. Naruto stretched his arms as he crawled off the bed. He hurried towards the door happily but then he stopped just as quickly. He turned around and saw that Itachi was still staring down at the floor as if lost in some troubling thoughts. Itachi felt Naruto's gaze so he lifted his head meeting the kit's eyes.

"Why are you still standing there? I said you were free to leave. If you don't go, I might change my mind." The kit stayed rooted in his spot looking back into the cold eyes of the older brother. _I am certain those eyes held warmth before._ He closed his eyes and thought of his home. He thought about how worried Sakura must be even though she pretended to hate his guts. He thought about Ichi Raku ramen and how much he longed to have some. He thought about that pervy sage and his equally pervy sensei Kakashi. Last but not least he thought about Sasuke. He was his very best friend in the whole world. Like a brother…maybe. The thought of Sasuke saddened him a lot. Ever since Sasuke returned from his stay with Orochimaru, they'd become a lot closer. Sure they still fought a lot but for some reason their friendship had reached a whole other level. _Well…it did for me, but Sasuke, how did you really feel? Guess I'll never know unless…_

"Itachi." Naruto slowly approached the older Uchiha and kneeled in front of him. Itachi's face twisted in confusion and for some reason he felt somewhat uncomfortable from the closeness of the kit.

"What is it Naruto? You should know by now that I'm a very impatient man."

"Hai, I know but…I'm not leaving," he answered softly.

"What?"

"I said I'm not leaving. I…I don't wanna go." Itachi stared into his sparkling blue eyes completely at a lost for words.

"Why wouldn't you want to leave? It's not everyday that I give people their freedom. In fact, you could say it's never been done before. I usually kill my captives and you're not much different Naruto. I could kill you and not think twice about it." His tone of voice almost changed and he had to fight hard to maintain his monotone. _Why? Why won't he leave?!_

"I…I know and…just hear me out."

"Make it quick."

"Well…uh…being stuck in this room for days gave me plenty of time to think and sort some things out. I had heard from Sasuke that you were a strong shinobi but I never figured anyone could take down Kakashi like you did. You took him down without even breaking a sweat." Naruto paused for a few seconds as if he was afraid to continue but Itachi urged him on.

"Continue."

"Uh…right," he said nervously. "Well um…you know Sasuke left to train with Orochimaru and when he came back he was a lot stronger than me. I never told anyone but pervy sage because I was just happy to have my brother back ya know?"

"Brother?"

"Well…Sasuke had always been like a brother to me. I mean, we fought all the time but we still cared for each other and I…probably cared more than he did," he added sadly. There was another long pause before the kit grinned. "Sorry about that. I just…enough about that. Anyway, I asked the pervy sage to train me because there was just no way I was going to let Sasuke be better than me but…"

"But…"

"But pervy sage was never around much. After Sasuke came back, pervy sage would leave to make sure you guys weren't after me. They kept me in the village all of the time, never letting me go on any big missions. So…I was stuck training all by myself or with the team. It was cool and all having the old team back but…so much has changed."

"I'm a little confused about why you wish to stay. No one in their right mind would…"

"You should know by now that I am different. I do the unexpected all the time. That's what makes me me. I want to stay here with **_you_** Itachi and I want you to train me. I want to be as strong as ever so that I can become the strongest hokage."

"I hear what you're asking Naruto but I'm afraid that is impossible. For starters, even if I did let you stay, we would not be staying here. I'm still a part of the Akatsuki and that's where I'd be. Secondly, **you're** what the Akatsuki wants. They'll try and kill you as soon as they lay eyes on you."

"But I'd be willing to join the Akatsuki. Whatever you want. Just let me stay with you." He was starting to sound a bit more urgent which startled the older Uchiha. _Is this kid mad?_

"You want to join the Akatsuki?"

"Yes. I…I wanna join. I figure you can train me and by the time they try to kill me, I'd be strong enough to get away."

"That's not even…that's the most suicidal thing I've ever heard."

"I don't care," he said hotly. "I want to stay. Just…please. Let me stay! I'll…I'll do whatever you say. You let Hinata go and I'll go back with you. If I disobey orders then you can always just let me die."

Itachi studied the kit desperately trying to find some reason to say no. The kid had covered all of the basics and while he could easily just say no, the offer was far too tempting. He could easily train the young kit to be better than Sasuke. Just by observing him before, he knew the kid had excellent stamina and with all that extra chakra at his command, the kid could master things even he could never hope to master. Plus…it was crazy – the whole idea was just crazy and yet, maybe…maybe this is just what he needed to accomplish his goals.

"Are you certain this is what you want? I will not ask you again and this is your last chance to walk out that door and be free until I hunt you down again." Naruto looked up into those cold eyes and smiled.

"Hai," he whispered. "At least when I'm with you, I won't feel so alone and I won't have to deal with one-sided feelings anymore." Itachi slowly stood to his feet and glided across the room. He stopped at the door and spoke softly.

"We will be leaving shortly. I trust you'll do as you're told?"

"Hai."

"Very well then." Itachi left the room closing the door tightly behind him. He leaned back against the door and released a deep breath. He had been holding his breath ever since that kit got so close to him. _"At least when I'm with you, I won't feel so alone…"_ A genuine smile crossed his lips startling him.

"I'm thinking too much," he mumbled before starting towards Hinata's room.

**x-x-x**

Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Sasuke travelled in silence almost the entire time. None of them knew what to say and the older men were afraid they'd set Sasuke off. Sasuke of course, knew they had been avoiding conversation and it kind of tickled him that they were being so protective. After an hour of the silence, Sasuke couldn't take it anymore.

"Hey old guys, what's up with you two? I know the both of you are just dying to discuss the plot line for your next smut novel so why the eerie silence?" Both Kakashi and Jiraiya just looked at one another.

"Uh…well…my next book is top secret," Jiraiya chuckled. "Besides, the only person I'd ever discuss my book with is Na…ruto." He stopped talking after realizing what he just said but Sasuke only laughed.

"You guys are terrible liers," Sasuke grinned. "You can talk about Naruto. I won't get mad. You guys act like I'm going to freak out or something."

"Uh well…knowing your track record…" Kakashi started.

"Yeah well we'll be getting him back soon so it's all good. Besides, I know you're itching to talk about the lovely Hinata and that body of hers," Sasuke joked. Kakashi looked absolutely horrified making the other two guys laughed.

"I…I don't know what…"

"Oh Kakashi sensei I'm not stupid. I know about you and Hinata. You guys have been sweet on each other ever since she joined the team. I'll admit that I tried to get friendly with her but it was pointless. Even if I wanted to be with her I could never love her. The same thing happened with Sakura. I tried but…it's no use. Once that idiot gets inside your head it's hard to get him out." Kakashi and Jiraiya stopped in their tracks and just stared at Sasuke.

"So…so you mean…you like Naruto in **THAT** way?" Jiraiya asked.

"Oh please," Sasuke mumbled as he continued to walk. _Of course I love Naruto. I've always loved him 'cept it took me long enough to realize it. I can't wait to get him back. As soon as I get him back, I'm going to wrap my arms around him and let him know that I love him. I'm going to…_

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke looked up suddenly and his heart began racing. He glanced over at Kakashi who was damn near the point of tears. Itachi and Kisame were standing side by side at the other end of the bridge they were trucking across. Itachi had one arm around Hinata and the other one around Naruto. Funny thing was neither of them looked frightened at all. In fact, Sasuke was almost certain it was an illusion.

"No, it's not an illusion Sasuke," Kakashi said softly. "I've already checked." _The question is, why? Why wouldn't they be frightened?_

"Kakashi, Sasuke, Jiraiya. I have something you all want but…" He held the two kids tighter before laughing.

"What's so funny?" Jiraiya asked. All three men readied their weapons but Kisame held up his hand.

"There will be no need for fighting you morons. Besides, don't you find it odd that Itachi hasn't used his Sharingan on you yet? All of you have looked him dead in the eye yet you are all still standing." Kakashi thought about this and cursed himself silently. Yes, Kisame was right and it was very foolish of them not to mention very careless. He looked over at his love and she smiled at him. His heart just wanted to melt at the sight of his love. He'd almost forgotten how sweet her smile was.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Sasuke screamed. "Let them go now!"

"What if I told you they'd rather stay with me? Tell me little brother, what would you do?" All three men's eyes went wide with shock. _He's lying….He's got to be lying…?_ Kakashi stared wildly from Hinata to Naruto. _What is going on here?_


	21. The Great Naruto Bridge

Sasuke just stared wildly from Hinata to Naruto trying to find something…_anything_ to alert him that it was an illusion but alas it was not. Itachi chuckled softly as he caressed the cheeks of his two prisoners garnering evil glares from Kakashi.

"What's the meaning of this Itachi?" Jiraiya asked. "If you're not going to release them then why'd you bring them to meet us?"

"And what's the bullshit about them wanting to stay?" Sasuke asked. _No one in their right mind would want to stay with that lunatic! _Again Itachi just chuckled. "Well? ANSWER ME GOD DAMMIT!" All of a sudden Itachi gave Hinata a playful nudge and she broke into a run across the bridge. Kakashi couldn't believe what he was seeing and it wasn't until she was in his arms that he realized it was real. He kneeled down and just buried himself into her, squeezing her tightly while she cried happy tears on his shoulder. He pulled away and patted her on the head.

"We'll pick this up later alright? Now get behind me." She nodded tearfully and then quickly ran behind him so that she'd be protected.

"Alright. So you've sent the girl over. Are we going to have to fight you for the kit?" Jiraiya asked. He dropped his back pack and pulled out a scroll readying for battle.

"You know, Itachi and I go out of our way to be nice to you all and this is the thanks that we get? Maybe we should leave now Itachi. They don't…"

"No wait…please," Kakashi managed. He was still in shock about Hinata and it was taking everything he had to hold it together but he still had a job to do. He'd have to cry later. This was more important right now. "Please just…tell me why you are giving them back without a fight? I...I'm confused."

"_Them?_" Itachi asked. "Whoever said I was giving them both back?" Kakashi and Jiraiya just looked at each other with grim expressions on their faces.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU PLAYING AT ITACHI?! GIVE NARUTO BACK TO ME NOW!" Sasuke screamed. Itachi's smirk turned into a wide grin and Sasuke couldn't take it anymore. Blinded by rage, Sasuke's body began to transform then without thinking, he started across the bridge after his brother.

"NO! SASUKE WAIT!" Kakashi yelled but then…

"GAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Sasuke was sent flying back across the bridge flat on his face. Kakashi ran over to Sasuke to check on him but Sasuke slapped his hand away. He slowly stood to his feet, a hurt and confused expression drawn on his face. "Why…Naruto? I don't…understand," he huffed. Kakashi and Jiraiya both gasped when they finally looked across the bridge. Surrounding Kisame and Itachi were hundreds of shadow clones in the form of Naruto, each one holding a kunai in their hands. Kakashi's heart just sank and Jiraiya looked furious.

"Naruto…what's the meaning of this and boy you better make this good. After all I've done for you and you go and do something like this? ANSWER ME BOY OR I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF! I'LL FORGET ALL ABOUT THE FORTH BEING YOUR…" All of the sudden, the clones disappeared leaving the true Naruto standing out front. He took a few steps away from Itachi but just stopped staring at his former master.

"What…did you just say…pervy sage?" the kit asked. Jiraiya continued to stare the boy down, his face red with fury.

"It doesn't matter what I said Naruto. You owe me an explanation for this and…"

"Did I hear you correctly in saying that the 4th was my father?" he asked completely ignoring his former sensei. Jiraiya cursed softly under his breath before shaking his head.

"You didn't hear anything."

"Oh…I…I see," the blonde said softly. "Well then. Guess there's no need for me to hang around." The kit took a few steps back towards Itachi but Jiraiya had already begun his assault. Of course, Itachi was already a step ahead and managed to block the flying kunais from hitting Naruto. The kit turned glaring angrily at his former master.

"Why'd you attack me?"

"You…of all people Naruto…you would betray your village just so you can live? That doesn't sound like the student I trained," he spat.

"Yeah well, I don't care anymore. Besides, you never trained me like you said you would anyway. All you cared about was your precious research and…"

"Naruto!" Kakashi had about had enough of this. _Just what is Naruto trying to do? Is he really for real…_ "Naruto…you're joking right?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" he asked. Kakashi cut his eyes over at Sasuke who was just standing there staring at the ground. It was as if he was dead inside with no hope for carrying on.

"Naruto. Think about what you're doing here," Jiraiya pleaded. "I…You know I could never kill you. I just…even if I wanted to I'd never have the heart to actually do it but listen to me. If you defend those two then you are betraying your village. That's treason and it's also a crime."

"So what? It's not like the villagers really give a shit about me anyway."

"Na…Naruto? Where's all this coming from?" Kakashi asked. He was still utterly confused about the whole situation. Nothing…nothing about the situation was making much sense. He would have thought that his precious Hinata would have been raped or tortured (thank God she wasn't!) but they'd returned without so much as a scratch. It just didn't make sense. Why kidnap somebody if you were going to give them back?

"I had some time to think things over and I realized something sensei; I realized that I'm not needed in the village anymore. I haven't done anything but cause people unnecessary trouble but if I stay away then everything will be alright."

"How? How will everything be alright?" Sasuke asked. "I don't…this isn't you Naruto. You…are you just giving up without a fight? You know those bastards want to kill you so you're just going to give them what they want?" _I don't understand. God…help me understand why he's…_

"Yeah well…I know it sounds bad but…I've made my choice. The Akatsuki were after me and so they got me. Now that I'm gone, the village will be safer and everyone can get on with their lives. Besides, most of the people in the village still fear me. Others hate me." He shrugged. "I think it's time for me to go. I'm not needed here anymore…"

"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT NARUTO!?" Sasuke screamed.

"Because it's the truth Sasuke. The Hokage-sama thinks I'm troublesome. **That **old coot is always finding a reason to leave the village so I always end up training alone. Sakura hates me. _You_ hate me…"

"I DON'T HATE YOU NARUTO!" he screamed. "GOD…IF ANYTHING I…" He never got a chance to finish his statement for the battle had begun. Itachi and Kisame were now on the other side of the bridge facing off against Jiraiya and Kakashi. Naruto turned and was running away from the fight. Sasuke however, refused to let him go and so he ran after him. "NARUTO! NARUTO WAIT! DON'T…PLEASE…" The kit stopped in his tracks turning slowly to face his friend.

"Go away Sasuke. I'm serious. I don't…I won't go back."

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME NARUTO! YOU CAN'T…YOU JUST CAN'T LEAVE LIKE THIS!" Sasuke was now panicking and it was coming out through his wavering voice. Naruto only stared at him with a dull look on his face.

"Why Sasuke? Why should I stay when all this time you've only cared about yourself?"

"THAT'S…THAT'S NOT TRUE! I'VE ALWAYS CARED ABOUT YOU! YOU WERE LIKE A BROTHER TO ME SINCE THAT BASTARD ITACHI…"

"Don't…you…**dare**…call him a bastard Sasuke. You may not have murdered your entire clan but you are no better than him. Remember when you tried to kill me so you could run off to be with Orochimaru?" Sasuke's face went pale at the very thought of that day. Naruto laughed coldly at the look on Sasuke's face. "Yeah. Judging by the look on your face, I'd say you remember quite well."

"Na…Naruto listen to me. I…I was confused. I…I NEEDED SOMEONE TO HELP ME GET MY BROTHER AND…"

"Always about you," he scoffed. Sasuke watched as Naruto's normally beautiful blue eyes suddenly turned cold as ice. The look he was getting from the kit was making his blood curl.

"Na…ruto…I…"

"You never cared about me Sasuke. Oh sure you may have thought of me as a brother at one point but to even think you are better than Itachi is just plain wrong. You did the very same thing to me that he did to you. You left me…your own _brother_…your very best friend to be with the enemy…and all because you couldn't handle that I was better than you."

"But…BUT THAT'S NOT TRUE! I DID CARE…"

"All you could think about was finding a way to be better than me."

"THAT'S NOT TRUE AND YOU KNOW IT! YOU'VE KNOWN SINCE WE WERE LITTLE THAT I'M AN AVENGER! I HAVE TO GET HIM BACK FOR WHAT HE DID TO OUR CLAN! HOW IS THAT SO WRONG NARUTO??"

"It's wrong when you hurt the ones you claim to love to reach your goals."

"But that's…"

"Not fair? Hmpf. Give me a break Sasuke. You wanna know the big difference between you and me?" Sasuke just stared at him horrified as tears streamed down his face. "I worked my ass off to get to where I am today and I had to do it alone. If I had not ran into that pervy sage, I would have been stuck with Ebisu as a trainer for the chunin exams and I never would have realized my potential. Still…Jiraiya could have cared less whether or not I made chunin. All he and the rest of the elders cared about was making sure the 'nine tailed beast' was kept safe from the Akatsuki. And you…Kakashi was very adamant about training you," he mocked. "Oh yes, let me train my precious little Sasuke so he can…"

"ENOUGH! I'VE HAD ENOUGH NARUTO! WHAT ARE YOU JEALOUS OF ME ALL OF A SUDDEN?"

"Yeah right. Like I'd be jealous of you. I'll admit that I used to be jealous of you but now, I'm actually very ashamed of you. I would never do what you did to my friends and even though I can't stand you right now, I could never kill you Sasuke because I care about you very much."

"AND I CARE ABOUT YOU TOO! THAT'S WHY YOU…THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE TO STAY BECAUSE WITHOUT YOU…I'M NOTHING WITHOUT NARUTO! I HAVE NO ONE ELSE BUT YOU! YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS ME AND…"

"I'm sorry but I can't. I've made my decision and…" Sasuke quickly ran at Naruto tackling him to the ground. He then straddled him pinning both his hands above his head with one hand and the other he kept as a fist. He drew back to punch Naruto in the face but then he began to sob.

"Why…Naruto? I don't…I know I hurt you before…but you never said anything about it. I came back to the village to be with you…"

"You didn't act like it. All we did when you got back was fight." Sasuke looked down into the kits eyes searching desperately for some kind of warmth in his eyes but there was none. He could see nothing but emptiness and loneliness in his eyes. "Oh…God Naruto…" he sobbed.

He cupped the kit's face and pressed his lips to his but there was no response. He started planting sloppy wet kisses on the side of his neck praying he'd return the feelings but he would not. He tried kissing his lips again but the kit just smirked. _Its no use..._

All of a sudden Sasuke was blown away from Naruto; his back landing harshly against a stone boulder. The impact of the hit took the raven haired shinobi off guard and the very wind had been knocked out of him. He did not move for several seconds because the pain was just too much. His entire body was hurting like hell and he was fairly certain he'd cracked a few ribs. When he finally managed to open his eyes what he saw made his heart sank. Naruto was standing over him holding a Rasengan ball in his hand, eyeing him with a cold, intense stare.

For the first time in his life since that day in the Forest of Death, Sasuke was scared he was going to die. Sasuke tried to move but pain shot through his body like a bolt of electricity causing him to cry out in pain. But that pain was nothing compared to the pain he was feeling in his heart. He somehow managed to move his head enough to look down at his chest. Sure enough it had been Naruto's rasengan that had hit him in his ribs. He quickly looked up to meet the kit's lips near his. They were close enough to kiss but the kit only smirked. He leaned closer and placed his lips to Sasuke's ear and whispered.

"The Valley of the End was where you left your heart. Here, at The Great Naruto Bridge, is where I'll leave mine. Good-bye…Sasuke." Naruto drew back and hit Sasuke one last time with the Rasengan.

"Na…I love…" Sasuke's eyes blinked open a few times before they finally closed for the last time; the last images being Itachi, Naruto, and Kisame disappearing into nothingness together. _Naruto…I…I've lost you forever…I guess…I have no reason to exist anymore…_

_

* * *

_AN:_ Alright people. We possibly have one or two more chapters and that's it. I might do a sequel but if I do, I won't start it immediately. I have to finish up my other Sasu/Naru story. If you haven't read it, it's called 'Confessions of a Dying Heart'. The next chapter will of course, feature more of our beloved Kakashi/Hinata. AND the next chapter will probably be REALLY long. I say this because the way it's looking, it will be pretty long. Which is why the next update won't be soon. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. All questions will be answered in the next chapter. Review if you want. Thanks to all my readers who continuously stick with me and leave awesome comments. You guys are the best! For the people reading 'Nightwish', I promise to update that one soon too. Just taking me sometime.  
_


	22. Unspoken Desires

Naruto sat on the rock and just cried. It hurt so much to say all those things to Sasuke and even though they were all true, he still never in a million years would have said those things. He loved Sasuke very much. He was his very best friend and all he ever wanted was for them to be together like it used to be before he left with Orochimaru. When he finally came back, Sasuke was still moody as hell but that didn't matter. He had his best friend back and that was more than enough to make him happy. _All of those words I said to him…I didn't mean any of it…_

"But you had to say them Naruto." Sasuke looked up at the older Uchiha brother who was looming over him. "He never would have believed you if you had not blamed him and the villagers."

"I…I know," he sobbed. "But he just…he looked so hurt. You any idea how hard it was for me to keep that blank look on my face? I feel like a part of me just died that day." Itachi leaned over the blonde staring at him with an equally blank look that could rival the one Sasuke gave him all the time.

"Naruto, if you're going to act weak then you will never be accepted into the Akatsuki. They can sense weakness faster than any animal so I suggest you get it together or I shall leave you here."

"I'm…I'm sorry. I'll be alright." The blonde forced a smile as he stood to his feet. "So now what?"

"Kisame, toss me that bag." Itachi easily caught the bag and placed it at Naruto's feet. The blonde reluctantly reached inside it pulling out a black cloak that had red clouds on it. There was also a black jumpsuit inside it as well as new knives and other weaponry.

"For me?"

"Yes. You'll be wearing these from now on. The bright orange suits you but not for this part of your life. From now on you are no longer going to be accepted as a hero from Konoha. You are now an outcast, feared by anyone who's unfortunate enough to cross your path. You will become a silent killer like me and will kill mercilessly if need be. Do you understand me?"

"Hai."

"Very good then. We shall report to the rest of the Akatsuki soon. It's not going to be easy convincing the leader that you want to fight with us. In fact, I'm certain he'll try and kill you. If that's the case you're going to have the fight of your life."

"I'll be alright. If I have to I'll use 'that' power."

"Good. Alright then. Let's get going."

"Hai." With one lingering glance behind, Naruto held his head high and followed his new comrades into the night. There was no turning back now and he was more than ready to get his new life started even if it did mean leaving everything behind that he loved.

**x-x-x**

A week later, Sasuke woke up in the hospital and found Sakura sleeping in a chair next to his bed. He stared at her for the longest time before cutting his eyes towards the ceiling. _I'm…alive…but I thought he killed me? No… Naruto doesn't have the heart to just blatantly kill though after our exchange of words yesterday…wait, was it yesterday?_

"Ahh you're awake." Sasuke's eyes rounded the room and he saw Lady Tsunade coming towards him. She stopped at the edge of his bed her eyes suddenly rounding on the pink haired shinobi next to him. "Sakura? Sakura you can wake up now. He's alright." Sakura's eyes fluttered open immediately spotting the alert raven head.

"Oh Sasuke! You're alright!" She threw her body across Sasuke earning an annoyed tch from him. She happily drew back beaming at the boy.

"Sakura, could you leave us for a little bit? I need to talk to him about something."

"Yes, maam. I'll be back to bring you some food later Sasuke." When Sakura was long gone Tsunade let out a sigh.

"You know you're lucky to be alive right now." Sasuke tried to sit up but there was a sharp pain in his rib forcing him back down. "Yeah, you should probably stay in bed and rest."

"But I can't stay here Lady Hokage. I have to find my brother and get Naruto back."

"You've been out cold for almost a week. You need to rest."

"But what about Naruto?"

"A search team led by elite ANBU ninja are out searching for him as we speak. They've been searching for him for a week but I fear they're never going to find him."

"DON'T SAY THAT! YOU FOUND _ME_ DIDN'T YOU?!"

"Yes, but there's a big difference in situations. Sasuke, we knew where you were all alone but we had no need to find you right away. We knew that Orochimaru wasn't going to kill you because he needed you as a vessel. That gave us three years time to prepare and since it was just Orochimaru, we knew what we were up against. The same cannot be said for the Akatsuki. As of right now, we have no earthly idea where any of them are hiding. They tend to only be found when they wish to be found. Plus, with the exception of Deidara and Itachi, we have no idea what powers the rest of them have. That's a huge difference and you know it."

"Dammit!" he huffed. _I hate to admit it but she's right. Kabuto had a bingo book about some of the Akatsuki members but there's no way in hell I'd be able to get it from him. Plus, if I recall correctly even Kabuto didn't have a clue about some of their abilities._

"Besides, I hear he doesn't want to see you anymore but can you really blame him? You leaving him hurt him more than anything in the world."

"BUT I CAME BACK TO HIM!"

"Maybe so but that doesn't make up for your leaving him Sasuke. Truth is, you have no idea how much pain that boy carried with him from day to day. He suffered more than anyone else even more than Sakura, whom he had to watch suffer as well. He would constantly mask the pain in his heart by putting on a smile, making empty promises about how everything was okay just to see Sakura smile, but I knew better. That boy was hurting while you were off selfishly divulging yourself for your so-called revenge!" Tsunade watched as Sasuke's angry face quickly changed into one of hurt and confusion. Tears were streaming down his face and he hadn't the heart to look at her. Sure her words probably sounded cruel but it was truth and he needed to hear it. Far too long had Sasuke been spared the truth behind his actions. It was time for him to grow up and take responsibility for his actions. Naruto grew up years ago when he realized that he was a monster. If he had to quickly grow up so does Sasuke and no was the perfect time for his reality check.

"I…I didn't…know…"

"Of course you didn't. You wouldn't know either because you weren't here to see them suffer. But that's all in the past now. You need to get a grip and focus on the future. Hard times might be coming our way soon and we need to be prepared."

"Wha…what do you mean?"

"Oh don't be so naïve Sasuke!" she spat. "Your best friend just joined up with the Akatsuki. That's the worst possible scenario ever. Now that he knows how to harness the power of the nine-tailed fox, the Akatsuki now have the ultimate weapon in their hands. We need to be ready for when they come."

"When do you think they'll make their move?"

"Well…I've been getting reports from various sources of how easily they managed to take down the four-tailed jinchuriki. And then Gaara's Shukaku has been taken. Add those to the number of beasts they already have, I say we have about two years before they make another big move. According to some intelligence info, the Akatsuki can only extract one bijuu every six months or so. My guess is that if they are planning to kill Naruto, it will be after they take down this village."

"They won't be taking down this village. I won't allow it."

"That's the attitude we need. You stay here and rest for another day. I'll be sure to clear you to leave in the morning so you can get back to training."

"Lady Hokage…before you leave, how is…is Kakashi and Hinata…?"

"Oh all of them are just fine. Hinata was released after one night's rest. She didn't seem to have been hurt at all. Jiraiya and Kakashi had some minor injuries so they're both ok. I'll get him to stop by here later so you guys can talk. Says he needs to tell you something about Naruto."

"Oh…okay then." Sasuke lay back against the sheets closing his eyes to think. _Naruto…I think I know what you went through and it hurts. It hurts like hell. I have to stay here in this village full of idiots all alone without the one idiot who truly understands me. The more I think about it, the more I wish you would have just killed me. But…I guess the roles have been reversed and now it's my time to save you._

"And I will. I'll definitely bring you back at all costs."

**x-x-x**

Hinata sat up in her room staring sadly out the window. Her father was being too damn unreasonable in her opinion. Just who was he to keep her locked in her room? After all, it's not like they failed the mission. The missing person was found by Jiraiya just days after she'd been kidnapped and turns out the kid was just bait to get Naruto out in the open. _Damn Akatsuki. _As much as she wanted to hate the Atatsuki, she couldn't help but hold a liking to Itachi and Kisame. They were very nice to her and had not harmed her in any way. Many people said bad things about them but she had no reason to hate them as of yet.

And finally there was Kakashi. Every time she thought of the handsome shinobi, she'd tear up and fall to pieces. _If this is what it feels like to love then it sure is a burden sometimes. But he's worth it. _Hinata dried her eyes then turned to watch as some kids ran by laughing as they rushed to get home before dark._ I wish I could sit outside, even if I have to be alone. Anything would be better than sitting up here feeling sorry for myself._ There was a loud poof startling the young shinobi. When the smoke finally cleared her eyes filled with joy.

"Kakashi-sensei!" she squealed. But just as quickly her smile faded and she looked sad again.

"Hinata-sama, why do you look so sad princess?" He was standing only a few feet away from their mansion propped back against an oak tree. He was probably standing there so that attention could not be drawn to him, even though he was her sensei. _To hell with this. I'm not staying locked up in here another night. _She looked back to make sure Neji wasn't listening at the door before leaping out of her window. She broke into a run towards Kakashi and just ran into his arms.

"Hinata…I don't know if this is a good idea. Someone might see us."

"I don't care anymore," she huffed. "I've been stuck in that stuffy old room for almost a week all because my paranoid father thinks I'm going to be kidnapped again. He forgets that I'm an adult now so technically I should be able to go and do as I please."

"Hinata…this is a side of you I've never seen before," he chuckled. "So bold now huh?" He planted a kiss on the top of her head and sighed. "Well, I don't know about you but I'd rather spend time with you some place that's a bit less open."

"Oh…right. How about your place?" She flashed him her most beautiful smile and he nodded. With another loud poof they both disappeared only to reappear outside his apartment. They quickly hurried inside and Hinata immediately took advantage of the situation. She pulled the mask off of his face and captured his lips for a kiss. Kakashi returned the favor allowing her tongue easy access as he felt her up. They were both lost in desperate passions, both their tongues fighting for dominance. It wasn't until he felt his vest sliding to the floor that he realized what was going on.

"Wait…mn…Hinata." He pushed her away and sighed. "We probably shouldn't do this. Your father would kill the both of us."

"But I don't care anymore sensei. I'm in love with you and I want to know what it feels like to be loved in return. You…you said you feel the same way about me."

"I do. I really do love you princess. More than anything in this world."

"Then prove it to me now."

"Hinata…"

"No…Kakashi please," she begged. "You know how my father is. He never lets me do anything on my own and he's always making decisions for me. Well not this time sensei. This time I am making one on my own and right now I have decided that I am staying here with you tonight. Whether you touch me or not it's entirely up to you but…but I really hope you'll change your mind. After tonight, I may not have the courage to stand up to my father. I may not get another opportunity like this ever again. I love you so much sensei and I'm willing to risk it all tonight. The only thing left for you to do is accept." She stared at the floor letting her tears drip down on the carpet. For a moment neither one made a sound. After a while, Hinata was certain that she'd made herself sound like a fool. Kakashi hadn't said a word and she was half wishing now that she'd kept her mouth shut.

"Hinata?" She felt cool hands embrace her face causing her to smile. "How could I say no? If you think I'm worth the risk…"

"I know you are," she whispered.

"Then how could I deny the most beautiful princess I've ever seen?" He slowly lifted her into the air and carried her to the bed. "I am going to take my time and enjoy every delicious second of this," he whispered. He slowly climbed on top of her claiming her lips for another kiss. She wriggled and moaned underneath him causing him to chuckle.

"Patience little one." His lips took the tender flesh around her neck sucking it gently. The taste of her sweet flesh was driving him crazy but he had to control himself for her sake. He slowly ran a hand across her chest and around her neck fishing for the zipper of her shirt. Slowly and carefully he unzipped her shirt letting his cool fingers tease her soft skin. Much to his surprise he realized that she wasn't wearing a bra of any kind.

"You know princess, you shouldn't go around without a bra on. You might draw some unwanted attention to yourself," he chuckled.

"I was hoping I'd get yours."

"Well you certainly did my sweet little Hinata." His lips left her neck and slid across her collar bone where he trailed soft, butterfly kisses around it. At the same time, he felt her tiny hands reach up and grab his belt buckle.

"Please…please let me take this off. I need to feel you," she whispered. He stood on his knees so she could sit up. Her tiny fingers slid up and down his sides before she finally lifted his shirt over his head. She ghosted her hands across his chest then caught him off guard by leaning forward nipping at his neck.

"Mmm…princess…you're quite the tease." She ran her hand behind his head and pulled his head back. She leaned up and captured his lips while her hands fiddled with his belt. She finally managed to get it undone and his pants dropped to his knees. Much to her surprise he wasn't wearing any underwear.

"You talk about me. Look at you," she giggled. She clasped his member in her hand drawing a low hiss from him.

"Hinata…" he moaned. She giggled her sweet giggle before pushing him down on the bed. She slowly crawled on top of him and without warning she took him into her mouth. She had never done this before but she was certain it went something like this. After all she had been listening to Ino one day about her sexual escapades and decided to use that knowledge for what it's worth. Kakashi gripped the sheets tightly as he watched his little princess bring him absolute pleasure. He was already completely turned on but he was really starting to fear that he'd lose it before he needed to. Just watching her little head move up and down plus the feel of her warm mouth was enough to drive any man crazy.

"Hi…Hinata…" He couldn't help it. His hips started thrusting forward, wanting more, needing more of her.

"Hinata…I'm…I'm going to…" With one gentle hum, the vibrations made him release into her mouth. He hadn't planned on it but…when he sat up he saw that she was licking her swollen lips smiling. _This is a side of Hinata I've never seen before…My sweet, shy princess is shy no more…_

"Hinata I…I didn't mean…" he started but she pounced on him kissing his lips.

"It's okay sensei. You taste sweet," she giggled.

"You're so…not yourself," he grinned.

"Actually sensei, I think it's because of you that I can be myself. My _real _self. The self that's not afraid of anything."

"Well, for the record, I'd love you any way. You're just too precious. Now it's my turn to please you." He flipped her over so that she was on her back. She started giggling uncontrollably when he decided to tickle her belly.

"Sensei, you're not supposed to tickle during sex!" she squealed.

"Oh and why not? Not my fault you have the sweetest, sexiest giggle." He tickled her some more then his mouth decided to tease her breasts. He suckled each nipple listening to her sweet moans fill the room. His tongue needed more of her. That's when his lips licked and kissed their way down her sexy torso. He slid his hands down her sides to her thighs drawing more frequent needful moans from her. She shivered lightly as his hands reached up, pulling down the lacy fabric of her panties and her biker shorts. Before she had time to react, his tongue was inside of her, tasting her sweetness. She let out a soft moan and he pulled her closer to him, wanting to taste more of her. Hinata's breaths came faster and more labored as his tongue teased the inside of her, tasting what he had been yearning for… He could feel her body tense up and he knew she was almost ready. She gasped when she suddenly felt Kakashi's fingers exploring the inside of her. She twisted and turned but he held onto her wanting nothing but to give her pleasure. A few seconds later she began rocking towards his hand, moaning his name. He grinned and seconds later her body began to shake, for the orgasm that hit was unimaginable.

"Very good princess." He climbed on top of her and settled himself between her legs. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too." He kissed her lips and thrust inside of her. Her cry was muffled from the kiss but the pain didn't last very long. It was only seconds before she wrapped her legs around him, arching her back urging him to plunge deeper inside of her. He felt the warmth of her muscles contract around him and he let go.

"Oh, God Hinata…" He continued to move within her, biting the side of neck. Her moans were comforting and he loved them. They were like music to his ears. One final thrust later and both lovers cried out, their orgasms hitting at the same time. Kakashi collapsed on top of her, both spent from their lovemaking. Kakashi finally rolled over and pulled Hinata next to him, kissing her lips. She sighed and cuddled next to him, throwing an arm around his chest, as he ran his hands through her hair.

"You never cease to amaze me princess."

"I'm glad I'm full of surprises," she giggled.

"You know, that sweet giggle is going to be the death of me." He kissed her cheek letting his thoughts wander off. _This is bad. This is really bad and I knew that before I even decided to visit with her. I never thought she'd sneak out and I never calculated she'd end up in my bed. I should probably get her home, even though I'd rather keep her here with me. It's been a long time since I've woke up with a beautiful woman sleeping next to me…_

"Hinata sweetie…"

"I'm not leaving," she grumbled.

"But if your father finds you here…"

"Then so be it." She closed her eyes and started drifting into a peaceful slumber. Kakashi decided to follow her lead and get some sleep as well. If everything went as bad as he expected it to go, he'd need all his strength to save his life.


End file.
